


The Little Jounin

by TheEpicPineapplez



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/F, F/M, FUCK, Graphic Description, Hatake Kakashi is a Troll, How about that, Human Experimentation, I don't know what all will happen yet but I'll just throw everything on here just in case, I'll just tag as I go, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Missing and rogue nin, Pedophilia, Rape, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con Elements, Shit's wilin out here, Underage Rape/Non-con, kakashi is adorable, kidnap and rescue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-06-27 09:36:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19788181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEpicPineapplez/pseuds/TheEpicPineapplez
Summary: There's talk of a new Jounin in Konoha... Kakashi wants to see just what all the hype could possibly be about...





	1. Chapter 1

He had heard it, rumors that a girl had beaten him. Became jounin at nine, a year younger than him… So what? Like it mattered… Just because she made jounin earlier than him didn’t mean that she was better. From what he’d heard, this girl was strong… Strong enough to take on other jounin, experienced jounin, and be just fine, maybe even hold her own and win.

Not only that, but it seemed she had a brother as well who was already a captain at ANBU Black Ops at ten. Both of them were described as gifted individuals who were from Kumogakure. He wanted to test this girl out himself.

Hmph. No way a girl would surpass him… The only way to find out more about this chick was to find to her, and that was exactly where he was going.

Miniki hummed a soft tune as she made her way past the training grounds, heading towards a small lake where she loved to relax. Suddenly, her nose caught the scent of someone she didn’t know. They smelt of fresh air with a faint trace of dog, but he had the same scent as all the other Leaf villagers, so she didn’t think much of it and continued on.

“Hey,” a voice called out.

She turned to see a boy close to her age, maybe a little older, running towards her. He had shiny, spiky silver hair that favored the right side. He had dark eyes and wore all navy blue. His forehead protector was covering one eye which left Miniki wondering what was hiding underneath.

“You must be the new girl… The one everyone keeps talking about from Kumogakure…”

Miniki smiled at him, most villagers ignored her, so the fact that he was talking to her made her feel happy as she offered him a small nod. However, it was short lived as he scowled and his eye flared with anger. 

“What makes you so special,” he snapped.

Her head tilted as she blinked at him in confusion. Her lack of response only seemed to anger him further. 

“What makes you so special? How did an outsider like you become a jounin?”

While his words seemed to strike through her like kunai, she still smiled at the other kid who was glaring at her. He faltered at her smile.

“My name is Miniki. What’s your name,” she asked brightly.

“Like I’d tell my name to an outsider like you,” he scoffed.

She refused to let her happy facade down, though, in the end, he was just like all the others...

“Well, it was nice talking to you. See ya around!”

With that, she set off.

The next day, Miniki left her apartment to go see the Hokage about a mission. Her head was kept down, avoiding the silent gazes of the other villagers. She knocked softly on the door before entering. The Hokage sat at his desk, his blue eyes glancing at her as she entered. She offered him a bright smile before turning to see two other men in front of his desk. One was the silver-haired kid she met yesterday, and another was a tall man with brown hair and chocolate eyes. The Fourth smiled back, one that always warmed her heart.

“Hello, Miniki. How are you getting along,” he asked.

“I like it here! It’s a fresh start over! I don’t get to see my brother too much, but that’s expected I guess,” she said.

“That’s good to hear. Unfortunately, I didn’t call you three here to chit-chat,” Minato-sama told them, tone shifting to one more serious, “A ninja has been kidnapped. I want you three to find them and bring them back.”

The silver-haired boy was staring at her, gaze set in a hard glare. Miniki paid it no mind, or at least she tried not to. She wished Ryushi was here… She always felt better when he was here to comfort her, but she had to be strong for him.

“These are your teammates. Kakashi and Senjo.”

Miniki smiled and went up to Senjo first.

“Hello! I’m Miniki Yotsuki! Nice to meet you,” she said.

“Senjo Abrume.”

She went up to Kakashi next and held out her hand in greeting. He stared at her with a bored expression.

“Kakashi Hatake.”

Miniki hoped he would brighten up though she would understand if he didn’t; she was an outsider, it was only natural that he didn’t trust her. After the introductions, the three turned back to Minato.

“Now that that’s out of the way, I’m giving you two days to prepare. All of you are excellent trackers so it shouldn’t be too hard between the three of you to find them. His name is Senki Rinsiki. Consider the enemy dangerous. Be careful and good luck. I’m counting on you three.” 

“Yes sir,” the three of us said in unison, bowing before taking our leave.

The two days were up and Miniki met her teammates outside the gate. She smiled happily, ignoring the harsh coldness of Kakashi’s gaze. 

“Are you guys ready,” Senjo asked.

The two is us nodded and Kakashi bit his thumb and slammed his palm on the ground. Black markings appeared on the ground as he yelled, “Summoning jutsu!”

A group of dogs appeared and Miniki smiled. She had wanted a dog… She begged and begged and begged… Her head lowered and she missed what Kakashi said and before she knew it, they scattered away. 

“You ready to go,” Kakashi asked her.

She nodded silently and the three began their trek. As they bounded through the trees, Miniki let her thoughts wander to Ryushi… She wondered where he was and how he was doing. She hadn’t seen her brother for a couple of weeks now because of his mission. Before leaving on missions, if the other wasn’t home, Miniki or Ryushi would leave notes to each other. She smiled as she let her hand drift to her back pocket.

‘I’ll be home soon… You better there too…’

“Hey, outsider!”

Kakashi’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned her head to look at him. Senjo was listening in as well, she knew, but he looking straight ahead. 

“You never answered my question, the one from yesterday…”

“I didn’t know you were talking to me,” she said quietly.

He snarled.

“Who else would I be talking to?”

“My name isn’t outsider…”

“Hmph.”

It’s not like she chose this. It wasn’t her fault.

“I bet you and your brother are just traitors waiting to betray us. I wouldn’t be surprised if your brother-”

“Kakashi!”

Miniki snapped and lunged at the boy, causing him to fall from the trees and to the ground before slamming him back against a tree with a kunai against his neck. Tears of sadness and anger fell down her face.

“Miniki stop,” Senjo yelled.

Kakashi glared at her with one eye while she trembled.

“DON’T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER THAT WAY! DON’T YOU-... He’s all I have… Say what you want about me, but leave him out of this....,” she snarled.

His gaze lowered and he looked to the ground, a flash of guilt spreading over his face.

“I’m not a traitor... I’m not a traitor… I’m not a...traitor… We’re not… He’s not….”

She lowered the kunai as she sobbed and wiped her face. Miniki stepped back and let him back down.

“Hey… Miniki… I’m sorry,” Kakasi apoligized.

She looked up at him in shock before smiling softly, wiping her nose and eyes.

“It’s ok... I’m sorry…”

With that, they set back out. A heavy silence clung to the air, creating an unbreakable tension. All she could do was think about Ryushi and her parents… She noticed Kakashi look back at her multiple times, she swore she saw sorrow and regret in those dark eyes. She knew he felt bad about what he said, but Miniki didn’t blame him. Who could? The only one who spoke her was The Fourth and her brother.

That’s when she looked up to the sky and saw the sun dipping below the clouds and darkness settle in the forest. She felt a pang in her heart as she shook softly. She hated the dark… She hated the dark. No… Be brave. She looked over at Kakashi and jumped up next him, keeping her head low and eyes glued straight ahead. 

“Hey… Are you ok,” Kakashi asked, clearly noticing her distress.

She gave him a nod, trying to hide her fear.

“It’s getting dark. We should probably set up for the night and continue first thing in the morning,” Senjo said.

The three made quick work setting up some sleeping bags and a fire. The first one asleep was Senjo, and Miniki tried her best to fall asleep, but it was no use. The harder she tried, the more awake she felt. She glanced over at Kakashi. His back was turned towards her and it rose and fell at a steady, relaxed pace. Meanwhile, Miniki was trying her best not cry, but she was failing as tears fell down her face. Shadows danced in the dark, creating images of things that weren’t there. 

Her brain conjured up sounds and she tried closing her eyes to block out the images, but they danced behind her eyelids as well. She wanted Ryushi and her baby blanket. She brought her hand to her face and bit down to stifle the sobs that wrecked through her body. Even though she couldn’t sleep, she didn’t need to keep her team up too. 

Bad things lived in the dark… Her mom... Her dad… They died in the dark. Monsters and ghosts and everything she couldn’t see… Things were out there that wanted to get her. Another shadow of disfigured body wisped by near some bushes, causing her to cry harder. She curled her knees close to her chest and hid her face into her knees. She bit down on her hand harder, tasting the warm blood on her tongue causing her to whine.

She saw her parents when her eyes were closed, and her brain conjured what killed them when they were open. It was like a never-ending torment. All she wanted was for it to stop.

Kakashi woke up to a small whimper and sat up. Senjo was fast asleep and he looked over to where Miniki was. Her back was facing him, but he could see her body was softly trembling and he heard quiet, muffled sobs. Concerned and confused, he stood up and made his way over to her. 

Her eyes were shut tightly, and he saw blood dripping down her hand that she was currently biting into. His eyes widened at that as he watched tears fall down her face.

“Miniki… Hey… Are you alright,” Kakashi asked.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him. 

“Kakashi-san…,” she whimpered.

Before she could continue, the wind rustled the bushes and she practically tore her way out of the sleeping bag she was in and launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his waist and pressing her face into his chest.

“What happened? What’s wrong,” he questioned, concern turning into worry.

“I...I-I-I… I don’t llll...li...like the d-d-d-dark…,” she sniffled.

His worry melted away and he slowly put his arms around her and lowered them to the ground so they were sitting. He didn’t really know what to do to comfort her.

“There’s no one here except us. You’re safe,” he tried to reassure her.

Miniki held onto him and just cried while he softly rubbed her back and softly stroked her hair. He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but after a while, she finally spoke up.

“I’ve always been afraid of the dark.. But ever since my parents died, it’s gotten worse… Sometimes I can’t sleep… I know it’s just my mind but… I’m still scared…”

His lips pressed into a thin line at her words and he held her tighter. 

“When my eyes are closed I see their bodies… When they’re open I see what might have killed them...,” she sobbed.

“Just don’t look up. I promise I won’t let anything hurt you…,” Kakashi said, surprised by his own words and how much he meant them.

“P-P… You promise…,” she asked, voice shaky and broken.

“Yea…”

Eventually, Miniki cried herself to sleep, and it was only then that he realized how nasty he had been to her. Kakashi regretted everything he said and wanted to know her better. He gently peeled her arms off of him and laid her back on her sleeping bag. She had dried tear tracks on her face and she was still sniffling. His heart softened as he pushed a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear before smiling and moving his sleeping bag next to hers and falling asleep.

He would apologize after the mission… Really apologize…. And maybe… Just maybe… They could become friends… Then his thoughts drifted to Rin and Obito. He didn’t deserve happiness, no matter how much he wanted it. Not only that but those he was friends with died. He couldn’t bear another death on his hands, so Kakashi settled on the fact that he needed to keep her at distance. Him wanting to get close to others was a danger, and he refused to give in to the temptation. The only exception to this was Minato, and he-

A whine snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned to look at Miniki who was now whimpering and tossing in her sleep. It appeared she was having a nightmare. A quiet sob left her and Kakashi wondered what she was dreaming about, but by the pained look on her face, he knew it couldn’t have been anything good. 

A gentle hand reached out and softly stroked her hair, much like a sibling or parent would.

“Shh… You’re safe. It’s alright,” he cooed softly.

He continued to stroke her hair and whisper comforting words until she visibly relaxed, going still under his touch, relaxing completely, pain and sadness shifting to content. Kakashi didn’t fail to notice how she slightly, unconsciously, leaned his comforting touch. Slowly, he pulled his hand back and watched her chest rise and fall at a slow steady pace. 

Kakashi smiled softly before his eyes closed again and he fell asleep.

They started early the next day, waking up too soon, but that wasn’t new for either of them. The three shinobi jumped from tree to tree in silence. Miniki couldn’t take her mind off what happened last night, mainly Kakashi. He was so gentle… So sweet… So unlike how he normally was to her. Regardless, she still needed to thank him for what he did. She jumped next to Kakashi, matching his pace with ease. He didn’t even bother looking over at her, just staring straight ahead.

“Thank you for last night… I’m sorry if I woke you up...I didn’t mean for you to see that…,” she said.

“Yea….No problem.”

Miniki kept pace with him, her gaze shifting to the ground as she got lost in thought. She thought about Ryushi and how he was the one who normally comforted her, she thought about Minato and how much his smile reminded her of her own father, how sweet he was to her despite her being from another village, she thought about all the glares from the other villagers and from Kakashi himself. That made her frown so she decided to stop thinking about that.

“Did you need anything else,” Kakashi’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Huh?”

“Can you not be so close to me,” he snapped.

Miniki blushed and mumbled a quick apology before moving away from him. His eyes… There was a pain in his eyes… They were filled with the sorrow of carrying a burden no person should go through or shoulder alone but was choosing to do so anyway. It was the look of someone who had lost everything, no gleam or shine of life in his one visible eye… It made her sad.

“So, why’d you move to Konoha,” Senjo asked her.

She put on a smile for the older ninja.

“My brother and I couldn’t stay in the same place where my parents died. It was just too much. Everything was just a reminder of them… So we decided to come here!”

“Oh, I see… I’m sorry about your parents.”

Miniki shook her head and smiled up at him, while sad, it was still genuine.

“It’s ok. A shinobi never shows their emotions. Besides, I have to be as strong as they were!”

While she sounded ok, the truth was she was breaking on the inside, each and every day.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did your parents die,” Senjo questioned her.

“They went on a mission after some rogue nin… It wasn’t supposed to take too long. Ryushi and I stayed at our Aunt’s house… They never came back and then some shinobi knocked on the door and…”

Miniki trailed off, head lowering slightly as she remembered how she cried at the funeral and how Ryushi held her. She remembered screaming for her parents to wake up and that they lied. Miniki didn’t know she was crying until she felt a tear tickle her nose. She quickly wiped them away.

“That must’ve been hard… I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Senjo said sympathetically.

“It’s ok. I still have my brother. I don’t know what I would do without him…”

Senjo smiled. She caught Kakashi looking at her, but as soon as she met his gaze he glared and scowled at her with slight ‘hmph’ and continued.

Sniffing the air softly, she caught a faint whiff of a Konoha ninja with a bunch of unfamiliar scents. She stopped and jumped to the ground, trying to get a better whiff of the air.

“Why are you stopping,” Kakashi growled.

“We’re getting closer…”

Both Senjo and especially Kakashi looked surprised. 

“My bugs can’t sense anything.”

“I have the best nose, and I don’t smell anything.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You summon dogs… Of course, you wouldn’t smell anything,” she said simply, not intending it to be rude in any way.

Kakashi seemed to scowl and seemed to take offense to it.

“If you sent them out, I can guarantee one will be back soon telling you they got something. We should keep moving,” Miniki said.

With that, three set off and sure enough, Pakkun had come back to tell them he had found something. The dog said there was a group of Hidden Mist ninja with the shinobi they were sent to rescue. Both Kakashi and Senjo had looked at Miniki when the ninkin left. 

“You have a damn good nose,” Senjo said.

She just looked down. Her nose haunted her more than they knew. SHe could never forget the scent of her dead parents. She shook herself out of her thoughts and they set out again. The scent of the shinobi got stronger and stronger and then finally, they stopped. A rundown shack lay ahead of them and there was a bunch of Hidden Mist shinobi guarding it. Inside was the ninja they were supposed to rescue. 

“How do we go about this,” she asked Senjo.

“Let’s try to take out as many as we can quietly. It’ll be easier if we’re not in a full-on battle.”

Kakashi and Miniki nodded in agreement and they all scattered, splitting up to take down more at time. She watched Kakashi as he mercilessly killed the Hidden Mist ninja with lifeless and emotionless eyes. The emptiness in them was terrifying.  
She waited for two of the guards to turn away from her. When they did, she advanced on one and did a quick succession of hand signs. 

“Wind style: wind vaccum…,” she whispered quietly.

She expanded the diameter of the jutsu and she saw the two men, at least she thought they were men, enveloped in a small bubble choking and gasping for air as the oxygen was pulled away. Every attempt to pop her bubble around them failed and their bodies collapsed. She kept the bubble up for about two more minutes before finally releasing the jutsu. After making sure they were dead, she dragged their bodies out of sight.

While she was doing that, she failed to notice the Mist nin behind her until she heard him yell at the sight of her dragging the bodies. Miniki barely had time to turn around before she was pushed to the ground and a body was pinning to her the ground. She flailed to try and break free, but it was no use. The Mist nin wrapped strong hands around her neck and squeezed, cutting off her air much like she had done to his comrades. 

Black spots dotted her vision and she knew that she was going to lose consciousness soon. At first, she pawed at his chest, but then moved her hands down and did a few hand signs and held her hand up at his chest. Her vision was almost completely black. A black cloud projectile launched at him and the cloud enveloped him. He stumbled up and off of Miniki, trying to get the cloud away. Once the cloud had fully surrounded him, he screamed as the cloud lit up a bright blue with electricity. It electrocuted him for a while before his body flopped to the ground.

Miniki was dazed, still motionless on the ground. It was such a weird feeling… She could hear everything that was happening and she knew where she was, but she couldn’t will her body to move and all she could see was black still. Then, everything came back in a rush and finally, she was able to see and she took a deep breath, a large inhale of air that made her cough and sputter. She rolled onto her hands and knees, body trembling and head pounding.

“Miniki!”

Kakashi was at her side, a hand on her back. Her brain lagged behind, which resulted in an overwhelming weakness from her body. She was still trying to recover the lost oxygen. As a result of the weakness and fatigue, she fell back against him, still breathing heavily and coughing slightly.

“Miniki! Are you alright,” he asked worriedly.

“Mm’ fine,” she gasped as she looked over to see more enemies running their way, “They’re coming!”

She staggered to her feet and did quick hand signs as kunai were thrown at the two Konoha nin.

“Wind Style: Spinning shield of wind!!”

Wind swirled in front of them and created a shield, causing the kunai to get trapped in the gusts of wind before falling to the ground as she released the jutsu. Kakashi revealed his Sharingan as she jumped back and watched him engage the Hidden Mist shinobi. She created a shield around him holding up the jutsu as she turned to look at Senjo. She saw him fighting multiple, around five other ninjas and was about to be overwhelmed. She put a shield around him as well, making all attacks useless against either Kakashi or Senjo.

The Mist shinobi didn’t fail to notice this.

“That little brat in the back is shielding them! Forget them and go for her!”

That was just the incentive she needed to run, she held up the hand signs and bolted as she ran for the entrance. 

“Stay away from her!!!!”

She turned around, did a few other signs and screamed, “Fire Style: Fireball jutsu!”

Miniki kept running, bursting the doors of the shack and using her wind style to knock the shinobi inside down. She made her way to the Konoha nin that tied to a chair. He appeared to be in a trance, eyes unfocused and dazed. She assumed he was under a genjutsu. She was about to release him from it when she was knocked down. A startled shout left her and she rolled her to her feet and faced her attackers. 

She put the shield jutsu back on Kakashi and Senjo, who were still outside, and decided to go fight hand to hand. Her hands were lightning fast, chakra surrounding them as she jabbed the Mist shinobi all over their body. One by one they fell down paralyzed. One managed to grab her wrist and throw her against the wall. She was dazed as her back hit the wall and barely heard the enemy shouting a jutsu. She saw huge shuriken made of water rushing towards her. 

She was able to dodge it, but in doing so, chains of water bound her wrists and ankles and she fell to the ground where she was immediately bombarded with taijutsu. A kunai was stabbed into her thigh and side causing her to cry out. It took a while to break free of the jutsu, and by the time she did, she was thoroughly beaten from head to toe. Keeping the shields up was draining her chakra and stamina and she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would be at her limit. She fought the rest of them, leaving only two Hidden Mist standing. By now, she was exhausted, bloody, and bruised. She fell on one knee and glared at the two ninjas as they laughed at her.

“What’s the matter pipsqueak? Feeling tired?”

“C’ mon girlie! Get up!”

She did a few hand signs as she growled, shutting them up.

“Lightning style… Lightning Transformation technique!”

Her body morphed into a bolt of lightning that bounced around the room and off the walls before finally striking through the ninja. Both Mist shinobi fell to the ground and it took everything Miniki had not to join them on the floor. She was nauseous, dizzy, and confused as if she could fall over any minute. Miniki didn’t exactly know where she was or what she was doing. All she knew was that she had to rescue someone… She couldn’t remember who, but the person tied to the chair in front seemed to be a good candidate. All she remembered was Senki... She limped over to bound ninja while ripping out the kunai, causing a stream of blood to flow down her body. 

“Release!”

He snapped awake and looked at her.

“Are you Senki…,” she grunted, one hand holding her side while the other cut the ropes. 

He nodded and she gasped in pain. He looked at her with concern. She finally got the last f the rope cut and helped him stand, but he shooed her off.

“If anyone should be helping anybody it’s me that needs to help you.”

“I’m fine… I just need to… I got to get you home… Home... “

Where was home again? Suddenly, she sensed people approaching the shack and panicked, knowing that in her current state, she was vulnerable. SHe threw two kunai at the entrance as the intruders got close before collapsing on her hands and knees.

“Whoa! Easy Miniki it’s just us-... Miniki!”

Keeping her eyes open was too hard so she let them fall shut, as her body collapsed. Hands were pulling her into a warm body onto a familiar lap and shaking her softly. The voices were distant but clear and there.

“Mmmm’... Fine… Jus… lil’ ti-red….”

She was vaguely aware that the voices were telling her not to fall asleep and stay awake, but Miniki paid them no mind as she snuggled closer to the warm body she was resting against, suddenly feeling extremely cold. The body holding her smelled of blood, sweat, with a faint trace of dog. It was comforting and familiar… Where did she know this scent? Miniki couldn’t bring herself to find out as her mind blanked out and sleep overtook her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what a collection is, but this story is now part of one :P...

When Miniki woke up, she found herself in the hospital lying on a bed. Ryushi was in a chair next to her side. He just smiled at her. No words were needed between the two of them. However, at the sight of her brother, Miniki squealed happily and launched herself at him, which turned out to be a bad idea as she gasped from a sharp pain in her thigh and side. 

“You need to be careful Miniki! You’re still recovering,” her brother exclaimed.

“You’re back…”

He hugged her while gently setting her back on the bed. She caught her breath, relaxing as the pain slowly subsided.

“You should rest…,” he told her.

He moved to get up but Miniki grabbed his arm in a panic, desperate for his presence. He was gone for so long… So terribly long. 

“Stay.”

It was a demand, but a request. A silent plea in her voice and eyes. He was always more mature than her, he kept her grounded. He smiled sadly and poked her nose.

“You know I can’t…”

“Stay.”

He sighed and finally gave in as her eyes closed again.

Ryushi watched over her as she slept. His dear little sister… So precious… So innocent. He would do everything for her. Everything and anything… He remembered how he had comforted her when mom and dad died. Her usual smile had lost its light. Ryushi had been the one to bring her back from the dark place she went. He dragged her back with all the strength he had, and in doing so they had developed a bond unlike any other. It surpassed a normal brother-sister relationship, at least for her.

She relied on him, and he relied on her. He could feel her heart and she could feel his, intertwined with one another as though it were one. He could feel every thought. Like now, he could feel her panic start to rise. She tossed in her bed now, crying and soon she was screaming. Ryushi knew what she was seeing… The bodies of their parents, maybe even their deaths. Her wild imagination had conjured up monsters. Monsters were the only thing that could kill their parents. 

“MOMMY!!!! DADDY!! YOU LIED!!! YOU PROMISED YOU’D COME BACK SAFE!!! MOOOOOMMMMY!!! DAAAAAAAADDDDYYY!!!!!”

Ryushi took her hand in his and squeezed softly.

“Miniki…”

She was sobbing still. 

“Miniki… It’s alright… It’s over… It’s over…”

Miniki whimpered. He noticed the blood soaking through the soft sheet that covered her body. Slowly, he pulled her body into his, careful as to not hurt her any more than she already hurt herself. She started thrashing in his arms, forcing Ryushi to hold tighter. One hand rested on his sister’s head while the other stroked her back. He hummed a soft tune. Their dad had done this one night after Miniki had a nightmare, ever since then, Ryushi did this to calm her down.

He just held his little sister and let her cry while he rocked back and forth, still humming that soft tune he couldn’t forget. Slowly but surely, Miniki calmed down, reduced to soft tremors and sniffles. He noticed now that blood was staining his clothes and he grimaced. 

“Let’s get you fixed up again yea… You’re always so reckless… “

Ryushi put Miniki back on the bed and pulled away, causing her to whimper. He gently stroked her hair and face to calm her.

“Shhh… Be still little bear… You’re hurt…”

He turned around to go find a nurse, not knowing a silent silver-haired ninja had watched from the shadows.

The next time Miniki woke, she was alone. Alone… She hated being alone almost as much as she hated the dark. On a desk next to the hospital bed was a small slip of paper and she felt tears spring in her eyes as she reached over and grabbed it to read the note she knew was from her brother. Next to it was a little teddy bear.

‘Dear littler bear,  
I’m sorry I couldn’t stay, but I have a mission. It will take around two weeks, maybe longer. Here’s a present as an apology. Please get better soon.  
Love you lots,  
Bigger bear’

Miniki felt tears prick at her eyes. She was alone again. It wasn’t like that she didn’t know these types of missions happened, but she wasn’t used to being alone. What if he never came back? What if he died? What would she do without him? She couldn’t lose Ryushi… She needed him. 

She curled into a ball and sobbed. She wanted her mom… She wanted her dad… She wanted her brother. She grabbed the teddy bear and held it against her chest. Miniki felt as though the walls were closing on her and the air was suffocating. She needed to get out of this forsaken room that was threatening to crush her.

With the bear in hand, she quickly opened the window to her room and escaped the hospital. Her thigh and side ached as she ran. It was hard to breathe as her feet carried her across the village. She realized that she was going to the training grounds where she heard the sounds of sparring. Sniffing the air, two familiar scents filled her nose. The first she recognized as Kakashi, and the second… The second was none other than Minato. She stumbled to a halt, straining her thigh a little too much as she whimpered and flopped down on the ground, landing on her butt. After that, she fell on her side and cuddling the teddy bear against her chest. 

She couldn’t let Kakashi or Hokage-sama see her like this… They probably had enough problems as it was. She couldn’t just force Minato to be something he wasn’t, even if she saw him as a father figure… His blue eyes were always so soft and his smile was so bright…

“Daddy… Mommy… Ryushi… Come back…”

She held the bear close to her heart as if the bear would come alive… It was getting harder and harder and harder to breathe.

“I don’t want to be alone… Don’t… don’t leave me alone… Please... “

Her breath came in short pants and gasps, feeling light-headed and dizzy with fear. She cried for her parents and brother. Miniki was frozen in her spot, unable to move even if she wanted to. She hated this… She wanted someone to be there… She needed someone here… By herself, she fell apart… Miniki was weak alone… She needed someone to ground her, keep her steady on her feet, and keep her in focus. Growing up was too hard… 

She heard her name being called in a distant land, but she couldn’t make the voice out, not as two strong arms pulled her into a warm embrace. 

“Shhh…. It’s alright honey… Just breathe sweetheart…. Breathe Miniki…,” a gentle voice cooed.

Miniki sobbed into a warm chest, clinging to the sweat-soaked shirt with small hands in comparison to the person holding her. Gentle hands… Soft hands stroked her back gently while another ran fingers through her hair. 

“They’re gone… They’re gone… Why did they leave me?”

“It’s alright… Just breathe… I need you to breathe honey… Can you breathe with me,” the soft voice, which Miniki finally realized was Minato, cooed.

She nodded with a sniffle and focused on the soft rise and fall of his chest and tried to match it. 

“That’s it… Just like that… Keep it up… You’re doing great sweetheart…”

Slowly, Miniki started to relax against him when a horrific thought crossed her mind. Minato was going to leave her. Everyone was going to leave her… Her parents were first… Then Ryushi… She didn’t have anyone left. She couldn’t let Minato leave to. No, no, no, no, no, no, no… Once this ended she’d be alone again. Miniki didn’t want to be alone. She pawed at his chest, whimpering as she pulled his shirt, unable to form words. Her hands were desperate and she couldn’t get close enough. 

“You’ll l-l-leave too… Please… Don’t wanna be a-a-alone...”

“Hey, hey, hey! No, no… You have to breathe. C’mon. You were doing so good… I won’t leave. I promise… But you have to breathe with me…”

“Y-y-you won’t l-l-le..leave,” she whimpered, glancing up at him with teary eyes.

He shook his head while hugging her tightly. Miniki saw nothing but sincerity and tenderness in those blue eyes.

“P-p-promise…?”

He nodded and that’s all it took for her to break down as she relaxed. She could do that… She could breathe with him… If it meant she’d have someone to ground her and stay with her, she’d do anything. Her chest rose and fell at a steady pace, matching his completely as she whimpered. Pain and exhaustion slowly set in from everything that happened. Her breath fell out of pace with Minato as it slowed down. He was so warm… His arms were gentle and his voice so soothing… He was everything her father had been when he was alive… 

“Please don’t leave me…”

Everything went black.

Kakashi sparred with his sensei, engaged heavily in taijutsu. He sensed a presence somewhere near the training grounds, but he was unable to make it out while he sparred. His attention was pulled elsewhere, currently remembering Miniki and Ryushi in the hospital. He wished he could be the one holding the girl in his arms. She reminded him so much of Rin it was painful, but refreshing at the same time.

He couldn’t get out of his head how her brother had comforted her and coaxed her down like a skilled therapist from her nightmare. It was sweet and adorable and it only made Kakashi think of Obito and Rin and how much of a piece of trash he was for being so rude.

Minato used his current state of distraction to his advantage and hit Kakashi in the chest, causing the child to fall to the ground with an oomph.

His sensei held out a hand for him to take.

“What happened? You’ve been distracted...”

“I sensed someone nearby…”

It seemed like Minato now noticed too. 

“It smells like Miniki…,” Kakashi gasped.

That got Minato to spur into action and the two of them ran over to where she was. As they got closer, they heard sobbing and crying which only made the two ninja pick up the pace. What they saw tore Kakashi’s heart to pieces. Miniki was crying for her parents and brother, begging not to be left alone as she struggled to breathe. She held a teddy bear in her arms that looked new. Kakashi watched his sensei delicately take the panicking girl into his arms. It reminded Kakashi of Ryushi, but somehow better, more fatherly-like.

Kakashi could only watch as he pulled her into his lap and held her against his chest. She sobbed uncontrollably. 

“Shhh…. It’s alright honey… Just breathe sweetheart…. Breathe Miniki…,” his sensei said softly.

The tenderness in his voice was unlike anything Kakashi had seen. It was much like a father would hold his child. 

“They’re gone… They’re gone… Why did they leave me?”

“It’s alright… Just breathe… I need you to breathe honey… Can you breathe with me,” the soft voice,” Minato-sensei cooed to the girl.

Kakashi remembered when he first met her, how bright her smile was. To see her reduced to such a pitiful mess was almost unbelievable. How was she able to be in this life? She was so innocent, so sweet, so… Not like other shinobi. Even Guy, with his uncontrollable obnoxiousness, had that fire of a shinobi, but her… She was skilled, that much was proven to him, but she didn’t have the look of someone who would kill.

She gave him a small nod, followed by a sniffle and started to try to match the rise and fall of his chest. Kakashi couldn’t do anything else but watch sympathetically, shock and concern freezing him in his spot. Minato- sensei murmured words of encouragement as he rubbed her back. At first, Miniki seemed to relax, but then, she started pawing at Minato’s sweat-soaked shirt, desperate to be close to his sensei. Whimpers fell from her lips along with small sobs. 

“You’ll l-l-leave too… Please… Don’t wanna be a-a-alone…,” she whined, still desperately squirming in the Hokage’s strong grasp.

“Hey, hey, hey! No, no… You have to breathe. C’mon. You were doing so good… I won’t leave. I promise… But you have to breathe with me…”

She stilled under him for a moment.

“You won’t leave?”

Miniki didn’t seem to believe his sensei's words as she looked up at him. The way Minato-sensei looked back was so soft and loving, one he used to know well… One he wished he still had but would never admit to anyone. He wished Minato was looking at him like that instead of her, but that was only a small fraction of his mind. He was just in awe at how the small girl was behaving. 

Sensei shook his head and her voice sounded so pained and broken as she asked, “Promise?”

Minato held her closer and nodded. Instantly, the girl relaxed and went back to breathing. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Slow and steady, just like the man who was holding her. Minato whispered soft words of encouragement and comfort, some of which he couldn’t hear. He finally caught his sensei’s gaze and saw the concern and worry in his eyes. 

Slowly, her breathing fell out of sync and that’s when Minato started to softly shake the girl. Kakashi was worried now, too, and it seemed much too slow. Her body went lax and still, hands still clutching Minato’s shirt. A few tears still escaped those wet eyes, red and puffy from crying. The teddy bear was squished between her hands and his sensei’s chest, and if it was uncomfortable to Minato, he didn’t show it.

“Please don’t leave,” she breathed out quietly.

Kakashi’s heart shattered to pieces, and he felt bad for her. 

“Kakashi, let’s finish this later yea? I’m going to take Miniki back to the hospital,” Minato said.

Kakashi nodded as he watched his sensei take the girl away.

It took a few more days before Miniki was finally let out of the hospital. She skipped across the village, stopping as she spotted Kakashi sulking by. Neither of them had discussed what happened what Minato, deciding to act as if it never happened, but Kakashi would remember it all... A smile appeared on her face as she bounced up to him. 

“Hey, Kakashi! Wanna train with me,” she asked.

He merely looked at her with a blank face and continued walking. Miniki frowned and she felt a group of people watching them from a nearby restaurant, but she didn’t pay them any mind.

“Are you ok?”

Again, he ignored her, simply walking away and leaving her alone. She watched Kakashi leave with sad eyes. The wind blew hair into her face as she gazed at the ground in disappointment.

“OI!”

Suddenly a kid in a green jumpsuit with caterpillars for eyebrows jumped in front of her. She stumbled backward, surprised by his sudden appearance

“Who are you talking to my eternal rival,” he interrogated with his hands on his hips.

He leaned forward, his face way to close to hers for comfort. She backed away, but he just kept coming closer. She held her hands up to put some space between them.

“Ummm….I’m his friend… I guess….”

“Guy, c’ mon, you’re freakin the girl out,” another boy with a weed in his mouth and a bandana on said, a couple of other ninja following behind.

Miniki smiled at them as Guy backed off with a pout, explaining how he was not going to let her take the spot as Kakashi’s rival to which Miniki assured him that wasn’t her intention at all.

“I’m Genma Shiranui,” the one with the bandana said.

She smiled and held out her hand.

“Miniki Yotsuki. Nice to meet you!”

The rest introduced themselves as Guy, Kurani, and Asuma. 

“You’re not from around here, are you,” Genma asked.

She shook her head.

“I recently came here from Kumogakure. It’s kind of a long story,” she chuckled awkwardly.

The four nodded. They explained how they were in the same class as Kakashi, and when Miniki asked why he seemed so down and closed off all the time, they seemed to become sad and somewhat nervous and Miniki was scared she might’ve said something wrong. Genma told her they should probably sit for dumplings cause it was a long story. 

The little jounin was all too happy to join them and listen in. They told her about his father and how he had killed himself and he found him. They told her about Obito and how he died while Kakashi was leading a mission. They told her about Rin and how she died by his hand. After that, they sat in silence for a while. 

To think that he had gone through all that… ANd in such short succession of each other? No one should bare that pain alone… It made Miniki sad that Kakashi believed he had to handle it all by himself. 

“So, what’s a pretty girl like you doing in Konoha? It’s a long from the Cloud Village…,” Genma asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Miniki blushed at his comment and told her story about her parents and why she and her brother moved. After their pity, Genma continued to flirt with her, Guy wanted to know everything about her, Kurenai scolded the two for their brash behavior, and Asuma just laughed. It was nice and refreshing. She was happy to finally be bonding with others. After she finished her dumplings, Miniki stood up and said her goodbyes. Genma tried to get her to stay, but she just smiled and left the three to go to the lake.  
As she skipped her way to the lake, she decided to try and find Kakashi to see if he wanted to come. Despite his mean, closed-off nature, she felt strangely drawn to the silver-haired boy ever since he comforted her that night. There was always a strange feeling in her stomach and chest when he was around, pleasant, but still strange. She sighed softly as she sniffed the air and followed his scent and found him sitting on a bench.

Smiling that she finally found him, she bounced up to the ninja who was currently engrossed in a book. The small girl plopped on the bench next to him and leaned over to look over his shoulder. He didn’t even look at her, but she could feel his slight annoyed-irritation.

“Whatcha reading,” she asked him.

No response.

“I met your friends today! They’re super sweet.”

Silence.

“Want to go to the lake with me?”

He sighed in annoyance with a scowl on his face.

“Will you leave me alone if I go,” he snarled.

“I’d leave you alone if you said no, but I’d be happier if you went with me.”

He sighed again in defeat.

“Fine, I’ll go.”

Squealing with joy, she grabbed his hand and pulled him off the bench. Kakashi gave a startled shout as she dragged him along. As she pulled him, he kept saying how he could walk by himself and to let go, but she paid his indignant and grumpy comments no mind. Zooming past the training grounds, she headed into the trees and navigated her way through the small forest before arriving in a beautiful clearing. 

Lush green grass spread across the field where a small body of crystal blue water with a small waterfall rested. The sun shined behind past the trees, creating a beautiful glow across the water’s surface. It was peacefully silent and the air was fresh. It was like something you’d see in a painting… Beautiful...Paradise.

Miniki took off her sandals and walked over to the lake and sat down as she let her feet soak in the cool water. Kakashi joined her a few moments later. The two of them sat in comfortable silence. The strange feeling in her chest came back and she found her cheeks turning red as a result. Being so close to him made her feel jittery. She splashed the water slightly with her feet, trying to ignore the feeling of wanting to scoot closer to him. 

“This place calms me down… It’s like an escape… A place where I can forget everything ya know?... There’s one other place I go as well. A cliff. Beautiful view of the village, but this one is more relaxing. I’ll take you there sometime, too...”

Kakashi didn’t respond, but she had a feeling he was listening, though there wasn’t any indication that was he paying attention.

“The whispers, my thoughts, my pain… It just… Fades…”

Miniki wondered if she should tell him that she knew about Obito and Rin. She knew she had to tell him eventually. Again, the two sat in silence, and Miniki couldn’t help herself. 

“I heard… About Obito and Rin…,” she confessed.

His fists clenched and he looked down, body tensing and Miniki was scared she made the wrong choice of deciding to tell him. 

“Your friends told me… I don’t think it was your fault… There was nothing you could’ve-”

“Shut up,” he said in a dangerous tone.

Miniki did just that. She didn't even dare to say sorry.

“Don’t talk about them.”

He just growled. Miniki sighed. Kakashi looked dangerously close to stabbing to her, but the former Cloud nin couldn’t help herself as she continued talking.

“Look, carrying that by yourself, it’s gonna eat you alive… I am here for you if you want to talk-”

“I don’t want to talk about it and even if I did, I wouldn’t talk to an outsider like you,” he scowled.

Despite the sting of his words, Miniki forced a smile, even as tears pricked her eyes. The girl wrapped her arms around him and hugged Kakashi. He tensed and froze. She knew she was treading on mighty thin ice, but she couldn’t help herself.

“Your friends miss you. You don’t have to be sad by yourself,” she said quietly.

She finally realized she let the hug linger for a little bit longer than it should've and she pulled back, blushing profusely as she scratched the back of her neck for a second before going to put her shoes on.

“I’ll see you later. Thanks for coming along.”

With that, she left the silver-haired boy alone.

Kakashi watched as Miniki hesitated to go to see the Hokage. He had noticed that she saw Minato as her father. That much was true by even her body language. Minato never seemed to mind the girl’s affection and adoration, but he did a small flash conflict those blue orbs. 

Kushina was more than welcoming to Miniki, indulging the child as a mother figure. The red-haired woman seemed more willing than his sensei, but Miniki also didn’t cling to her as much as Minato in the first place.  
For the most part, Miniki’s need for attention from the Hokage was quite reasonable, but it was only when her brother left on missions that she would become a little clingy and seek out his sensei a little more than normal. However, she still held back, like today. She hugged herself and shut her eyes tight while shaking her head and turning around.

Being ANBU, he had seen a lot of Ryushi, and the rumors were nothing compared to the real thing. Her brother was indeed a talented child: natural leader, fast, strong, and smart. Kakashi would have never guessed he was Miniki’s sibling, mainly because he was a complete opposite. Unlike the girl, Ryushi was very calm, calculated, and quiet. Nothing like his loud and hyper sister. They did have one thing in common: they both cared deeply for each other. Ryushi would sometimes ask him about her, and every time he would speak about his sister, Ryushi’s eyes would shine. 

Miniki running away startled him out of his thoughts and he followed her. First, she ran to the dumpling place, and not finding what she was looking for, she frowned and continued running. Kakashi wondered where she was going as he continued to follow her in silence. She made her way through the forest, navigating through the trees before arriving at a cliff overlooking the village. 

She curled up with her knees against her chest before reaching into her bag and pulling out a small teddy bear. It was the same one she had when Minato and he found her crying that day. Miniki rocked back and forth while clutching the bear like a lifeline. Slowly, she stopped rocking and just sat there, eyes gazing at the blood-red sky. Kakashi jumped to another tree for a different angle, one where he could see her face. 

There was a faint, soft smile on her lips, eyes clear and relaxed, body at peace. A gentle breeze blew strands of hair into her face that was glowing in the sunlight. She looked much better like this… Kakashi got lost in thought about how pretty she was that he didn’t notice the slight twitch of her nose as she scented the air. 

“Kakashi,” she called out much like a question.

His eyes widened. He was using an ANBU level concealment… Was her nose that good? He jumped down next to her and she smiled softly at him.

“How did you know I was here,” he asked.

“I could never forget your scent,” she said cheerfully before blushing and scratching the back of her neck, “Sorry… That sounded kind of weird…”

He chuckled and shook his head. 

“What are you doing here,” she questioned him.

It was his turn to blush… Saying that he was following her because he was too afraid to approach her didn’t seem like a good response.

“Oh, I uhh… I just saw you running and wanted to make sure you were alright,” it wasn’t a complete lie.

She smiled at him, making his heart skip a beat. She looked so pretty when she smiled.

“That’s sweet of you. Thanks, Kashi,” she said.

His face flushed a deeper shade of red at the nickname she gave him and he was thankful for his mask as he simply shrugged.

“No problem.”

“This is just the other place I go to clear my head. This is the cliff I was telling you about.”

He stood next to her and looked down at the village. Truly, it was beautiful. 

“You weren’t kidding about the view…”

She hummed in agreement, and they stayed like that in silence. It was nice, time fading away, content in the peaceful quiet. Kakashi sat next to her, one knee up with his arm resting on it. She blushed at how cool and calm he looked before going back to staring at the village, breathing in the fresh scent of the air. Finally, Miniki decided to break the silence.

“Want to head back with me and maybe grab something to eat with me,” she asked him.

“No thanks,” he lied. 

He did want to go. Kami, he wanted to go.

“Alright. Never hurts to ask. See you around!”

With that, she was off, leaving Kakashi alone yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! Thank you so much for reading! I love y'all!! As always, feedback, suggestions, and requests are welcome! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter isn't too jumbled, but ya know... Enjoy!
> 
> Warnings: Rape

Kakashi watched her get closer to his former classmates, forming bonds with them faster than she had with him. It was painful, but he vowed that he wouldn’t get close, and since joining ANBU, it was made much easier, but it still hurt...  
Genma had become Miniki’s best friend. Guy, Kurenai, and Asuma were great to hang with, but they didn’t match Genma’s playful teasing. Aside from that, he was always there for her when Ryushi went out on missions. He didn’t mind helping her and calming her down, or that she would cling to him and follow him like a lost puppy, in fact, he was more than willing to help. Of course, he could never replace Ryushi, but he was enough.

That fact made Kakashi’s blood boil when he watched the brunette hold her while she cried. That should be him comforting her and not Genma. He didn’t have a right to feel this way, seeing as he went out of his way not to talk to her so he wouldn’t get too close, but it didn’t stop him from getting angry. Miniki had had a panic attack right before he left with Ryushi to go on a mission, and he just couldn’t get over how he watched Genma hugging her. It made his blood boil how she clung to him while she cried.

“Kakashi focus,” Ryushi said, snapping the silver-haired ninja out of his thought.

“Sorry,” he said softly.

The younger ANBU looked at him with those damn observant eyes.

“What’s bothering you?”

Kakashi shook his head, not wanting to talk about it.

“Well… Just keep your head straight. We need you focused. I want to see Miniki as soon as I can… I got her a souvenir that I want to give her. It’s her birthday,” Ryushi said with a faint smile on his lips.

Kakashi could feel a small smile on his lips as he listed to Ryushi.

“I can’t believe it’s already been two years since we’ve been here… She’s already eleven…”

Kakashi nodded, snapping his mind back into focus just in time to dodge a kunai. It seemed like the rogue nin had found them first. A group of ten ninja surround the two ANBU and immediately knocked them from the trees. Ryushi had a better landing than him but was instantly knocked down and put in a wrestling match with five of the rogues. Kakashi couldn’t focus on that because he had five of his own enemies to take care of.

They were getting their butts beat for a while, but then the tides changed and they started taking the upper hand. He was so enveloped in fighting that he didn’t notice one of the nin sneaking behind him.

“Wind Style: Wind sword!”

“Kakashi!!”

He blocked a katana with his kunai before around and seeing one of the rogues lunging at him with a sword of wind. His eyes widened as he wouldn’t be able to dodge the attack. He thought it was all over as he tried to get away from the katana. Suddenly, someone pushed him and the katana cut his shoulder and the side of his neck.

Kakashi turned around to see Ryushi speared between a blade made of wind and the katana. Time seemed to stop for him. Immediately taking advantage of the shock from the remaining four rogue nin, he decided to strike first.

“Chidori!”

He finished the rest off quite quickly after that. He went to Ryushi, who’s body was laying on the ground with blood pooling around him. He was coughing and sputtering. Kakashi picked him and cradled him in his lap. Despite the dire situation, Ryushi pushed Kakashi’s hand away when he tried to stop the bleeding and smiled at the other ANBU.

“Iss… alright, K-K-Kakashi... “

Kakashi shook his head. Ryushi coughed up blood as he reached into his pocket. He held out a small necklace of a bear paw and then his ANBU mask.

“Tell her… Tell her happy birthday…and that I love her...”

‘Obito...Rin… Miniki… I’m sorry…’

He took the necklace and nodded.

“I’m so sorry…,” he whispered.

Ryushi only looked at him with confused, dying eyes.

“For what… You’ll live… Just be there…,” he coughed and gasped, “for Miniki... “

With that, his body fell limp before disappearing as he destroyed it.

Miniki felt it like a knife had stabbed her straight to her heart. Her dumplings fell out of her hands. Deep in her heart, she could feel something happened to Ryushi. It was getting hard to breathe. She could vaguely hear her friends asking if she was alright, but Miniki couldn’t hear them.

“G-G-Genma…,” she whispered, “something happened... I….”

“Sorry guys, but uhh, we have to go. Thanks for the dumplings,” Genma said quickly, throwing some money down before leading Miniki away from the group.

She was trembling violently as she let Genma lead her away, not able to look where they were going. Her brother had to be alive… He had to be… Even with her trying to reassure herself, Miniki still felt like a part of her soul had died. Genma kept reassuring her that Ryushi was fine, that’d he’d be back before they knew it, but Miniki wasn’t so sure as she allowed him to comfort her and just prayed that he was alright.

However they came to halt, and Miniki looked up to see a jounin looking at them and saying the Hokage had summoned her. The way there seemed to be in slow motion. Miniki knew it, but she didn’t want to accept it. She fought back tears as they arrived at the office. Her heart instantly shattered into a thousand pieces.

Kakashi stood there, alone, holding a mask that she knew all too well. A mask of a frog that belonged to her brother. Tears fell down her face as she shook her head in disbelief. Minato’s eyes were sorrowful while Kakashi looked like he shut down.

“No…”

“Miniki-” Kakashi started.

“No…”

He held out the mask and a necklace with a bear paw.

“I’m so sorry…”

Her hands went to hair and she screamed, her legs giving out as she fell to her knees. Kakashi caught her and she clung to his arms as she sobbed. He told her that died pushing Kakashi out of the way and got stabbed. He destroyed his body as most ANBU did.

“He wanted me to tell you he says happy birthday and he loves you,” Kakashi said in a monotone voice.

Miniki barely heard him over her sobs. It was getting harder to breathe and she heard Minato say something to Kakashi before the blonde pulled her from the silver-haired boy and into his chest. Minato told Kakashi to leave while he softly stroked her back. Miniki threw her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his chest while sobbing.

“Not my brother! Not my brother! Not Ryushi! Please! Not him… Please, not him!”

Minato kept trying to calm her, but nothing worked. It was getting harder and harder to breathe and she felt her body go lax against his while he shook her shoulders. Minato called out to her, but it was faint. She couldn’t stop the darkness as it wrapped its arms around her and her world faded to black.

Miniki sat near the window, staring outside with black eyes. She had been staying with Kushina and Minato since that day, but she barely moved from her spot. The girl didn’t speak, eat, sleep...Minato and Kushina looked at her with worried eyes.

“Miniki… Sweetheart… Dinner is ready…,” Kushina informed her, a bright smile on her face thought it was forced.

“I’m not hungry,” she mumbled.

The couple looked at each other with sad eyes.

“Please Miniki… Just eat a little bit… For us,” Minato pleaded.

The young girl looked up them and frowned but nodded and got up. Both of them sighed in relief and the three of them went to the kitchen. She picked at her food, a couple of nibbles here and there, but never full bites. However, the fact that she ate something was enough to soothe Minato and Kushina for the moment.

“May I be excused,” she asked.

Kushina forced a nod and smiled.

“Sure honey.”

Miniki thanked them and got up, leaving the two worried. The young girl made her way to the bathroom, sneaking her kunai with her, and locked the door behind her. A shuddering breath, broken and quiet. Small sobs left her lips as she sat on the edge of the tub. Miniki stared at the kunai, holding it with shaky, unsteady hands. She looked at the exposed flesh of her thigh and arms and brought the blade down on her skin.

The rivulets of blood were fascinating to watch drip onto the floor. The pain was instant relief from the sorrow. These physical wounds were preferable to the hole in her heart... She craved more of the feeling and cut her skin again, and again, and again, and again, and again… Sobbing harder as the pain didn’t go away. She couldn’t get past her sorrow, the sadness of losing her brother. She didn’t want to hurt anymore…

Someone knocked on the door, but Miniki couldn’t answer it. She felt light-headed as she sank to the floor, kunai dropping from her hand, vision blurry and hazy from the sight of her blood. Suddenly, the door opened and Minato froze at the sight of her body.

“I just… I didn’t want hurt... “

“Oh, honey…”

Slowly, she fell against his body as everything went dark.

Kakashi stormed into her room, furious upon hearing what happened. There were bandages on her arms and legs. He was thankful she was alone for the moment. How dare she try to leave him too? How dare she hurt her beautiful body? He beyond mad. She looked over at him with almost lifeless eyes.

“What were you thinking?”

She didn’t answer.

“I mean how dare you? Do you think your brother wanted this for you,” Kakashi snarled.

That got a reaction out of her as tears fell down her face.

“Ryushi loved you! What would he say if he saw you like this?”

He respected her… So the fact that she would try to kill herself like his dad did enrage Kakashi.

“You have so many people that care about you… Think about that next time before you do something stupid.”

With that, he stormed back out of the room, too angry to speak.

After that day, Kakashi had noticed Miniki changed. Those eyes of hers held no life, completely emotionless: dead fish eyes. She was just like him now… She even requested she go to ANBU and she flourished there, fitting in well. She completed every task with no resistance, not batting an eyelash at how senseless some of the missions were.

He had seen her, was her teammate on her first mission, and Kakashi had never been so terrified… She was sent to “take care of” some rogue nin and the silver-haired ANBU had asked to go with her, not knowing what he was in for…

Miniki had killed them all, six shinobi, no remorse or guilt. It was ruthless… She was covered in blood, hand inside the stomach of a full-grown man, yanking her wind blade out, splattering blood on her face. One by one, the bodies fell, until they were all dead. Kakashi was shaking, eyes wide at what she had become: a mindless killing machine. She said absolutely nothing as she turned around, silently walking past him. When he didn’t follow, she turned to look at him.

Somehow, she had ended up with him and Tenzou on a mission to locate a missing ninja. He found this odd since this wasn’t her normal gig, but wouldn’t deny a chance to be around her… Besides, as much as Kakashi hated to admit it, her nose was superior. She bit her thumb, slamming her hand against the ground, summoning three bears. One was a cute looking panda bear, the other was a bored polar bear, and the last was a brown bear. The panda was on top of the huge brown bear, comfortably resting on his head.

“What do you need Miniki,” the brown bear asked.

“IT’S ALWAYS SO HOT!!! CAN’T THESE TWO NUMBSKULLS BE ENOUGH,” the polar bear exclaimed.

“Hiya Miniki! It’s nice to see you,” the panda beamed.

Miniki smiled at the three animals, holding out a kunai that used to belong the shinobi they were looking for.

“Hi, Benjy, Tundra, Chi-Chi… I need your help… Think you guys could try and follow this and let us know if you pick anything,” she asked them.

The three sniffed the kunai, nodding before scattering, leave the Konoha nin alone. They set off on their trek to try and pick up on the target’s trail. The three ANBU moved throughout the day and most of the night, stopping as the dense trees obstructed the light, blinding them with pure darkness and forcing them to set up camp.

The three of them slept for a few hours before resuming the next morning. Benjy had found something and led them to the scent, finally arriving at his last known location. Miniki thanked the three bears before they poofed away. Kakashi decided it would be best if they split up and searched the area to cover more ground.

Miniki nodded and they went their separate ways. Halfway through her search, the young ANBU felt eyes watching her, unable to shake the feeling that someone was following her. She ignored it for a while, but her nose never failed her… Deciding enough was enough, she threw her kunai into the trees, leaves rustling as a figure jumped down to avoid them. Her eyes widened at who emerged from the trees.

“Impressive… ,” he praised, walking towards her.

Miniki stood her ground, kunai at ready, stance defensive and shaky. The way the Sannin was looking at her, eyes dead and expressionless: psychopathic or sociopathic, she wasn’t sure which. Maybe he was both. All the young ANBU knew was that she was shaken to her core. With each step forward, she took one back, failing to keep a strong facade.

Before she could even blink, Orochimaru had struck, knocking the kunai from her hand, throwing her against a tree, head slamming against it, knocking her vision out of focus. Her arms were uselessly resting on the ground, her entire body limp and mind dazed.

“You’ll do just fine…”

She blinked a couple of times, getting her vision and thoughts back in order while regaining the feeling in her body. Miniki got to her unsteady feet, leaning to the side as she pulled out another kunai. She wouldn’t let this monster getaway… Not after finding about what he’d done…

“I’m not going do anything you slimy snake…,” she huffed.

The Snake sage looked at her, amusement in those eery eyes. She thought about running away, going back to her waiting team so they could complete their mission, but if she told them that she ran into Orochimaru and didn’t even so much as attempt to apprehend him, after everything he’s done, she would never forgive herself!

“Annoying brat,” he hissed.

“You’re the one who jumped me! Not the other way around you snake,” she quipped back, holding her kunai at ready.

It was true. All Miniki had done was search the area for the missing-nin. She was on her way back to the rendezvous point when the older man showed up almost completely out of nowhere! They engaged in taijutsu, though it wasn’t much of a battle. Orochimaru held her off with ease, deflecting every blow, not even breaking a single sweat.

Miniki, however, wasn’t doing as good, getting tired as time went on. The fight ended just how it started: with her being thrown back against a tree. She groaned, barely able to open her eyes before he appeared next to her.

“And to think I didn’t even have to go very far… Such a shame my subject didn’t last as long as I wanted…”

“S-subject?”

“Experiments, my dear, ones you will know very soon…,” he purred.

“Like hell…”

She struck at him, but he easily caught her wrist and twisted it, bending her arm against her back painfully with a sigh. She cried out, finding that her squirming only the pain worse. It felt like if she moved too much, it would break her arm, and Miniki was already at a disadvantage… She preferred to get out of this with all limbs intact.

“It would be so much easier if you just gave up…”

“It’d be easier if you just left me alone,” she grunted.

He only scoffed, bending her arm further, causing her gasp. She let her body go lax, easing the pain. The man above her seemed to believe that she had given in. Good… As soon as his grip loosened, she used the opportunity to kick her way out from under him and jackrabbit out of there. She held her arm while running, the Sannin close behind. She was fucked, so thoroughly fucked… Her only hope was to somehow make it to the rendezvous point, hope her team was there, and get away from Orochimaru… However, she was slow in her current state. A hand fisted in her hair, yanking her backward, pulling a shout from her lips as she was pulled back and into the ground.

“I’ll admit… You have spunk… But you’re coming with me, whether you like it or not…”

“Get away from me!!!”

She was thrashing, the severity of her situation hitting her hard. He was a Sannin, and she just a lowly ANBU… All of it was futile as he punched her hard the face, leaning down as his fangs grew and she screamed as they pierced her skin, everything going black moments later...

Kakashi stopped as a scream rang through the air. It sounded like it came from Miniki! He ran to where he heard the noise, Tenzou meeting him there a few moments later. There had been a fight, blood on the ground, earth disturbed, marks from kunai scratching the trees. Kakashi and Tenzou looked around, gray eyes falling as he spotted an ANBU mask on the ground. Picking it up, he instantly recognized the bear mask as Miniki’s and panic welled up in his chest.

“That’s Miniki’s mask…,” Tenzou commented.

The silver-haired captain nodded. Biting his thumb, he slammed his palm against the ground and summoned his ninkin.

“What’s up boss,” Pakkun asked.

“I need you to locate Miniki, pick up her scent and see where she is… I think someone captured her…Biscuit, I need you to deliver this to the Hokage.”

“Aye aye!”

He gave the note to the dog that explained the situation and the dogs scattered to go, scout, the area, but night was falling, and the two ANBU knew they couldn’t stay out long. The dogs came back and informed the two of where her scent ended.

“What do we do Kakashi,” his teammate asked.

“There was no sign of the missing-nin, so as much as I hate this, I think our best option is set up for the night and wait for a response…”

Tenzou nodded in agreement, putting a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder to comfort him, but it was of no use. Kakashi couldn’t help but feel like something bad had happened to Miniki…

‘Don’t worry Miniki… We’ll find you…’

Miniki groaned as she opened her groggy eyes. Her mind was fuzzy and she tried to move her arms, but couldn’t. She soon found the reason for this was that she strapped down to a medical table, wearing only her undershirt and leggings. She thrashed, trying to break free, but it was no use. She looked around, and it seemed like she was in a lab of some sort… A demented, mad-scientist lab, but a lab no less.

“Ahh… You’re finally awake…”

She turned her head to the side, seeing Orochimaru standing in the doorway. She snarled at him, remembering how he had kidnapped her.

“I’ve been waiting for you…”

“Let me go you stupid snake,” she growled.

He hummed, ignoring her as he grabbed some scissors and made his way over to her. She just glared at him, but panic set in when he ran the over her cheek. Her eyes shut tight as a small whimper fell from her lips.

“Oh, the fun I am going to have with you… I can’t wait any longer…”

Her eyes snapped open abruptly when he started cutting her off her clothes.

“W-w-what are you doing? Hey, stop!”

Unfortunately, he didn’t stop, just kept cutting and cutting until she was finally naked. She thrashed, struggling as his hands ran down her skin.

“Gorgeous… Absolutely wonderful,” he purred.

A long tongue ran up the side of her neck, making her shudder in disgust. She shut her eyes tightly, determined not to cry or scream. She would not give him the satisfaction… A shinobi never shows emotion… No emotion… No emotion… No emotion...  
She didn’t cry or scream, not even when he kissed her roughly, forcing his tongue inside her mouth. Nor when he sucked on nipples. She didn’t scream as long fingers stretched her open. No sound was made, aside from quiet whimpers and cries as he raped her, moans falling from his lips. He finished on her stomach, painting her skin white as sobbed.

‘Please...Please hurry Kakashi…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! If you have anything you'd like to see, feedback, suggestions, all would be appreciated!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Orochimaru...
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy!!

Two weeks… Two weeks had passed since she was taken… All the pokes and prods, cuts, injected with strange fluids, being raped multiple times, put through stressful situations, living in hell… Never once did Miniki stop trying to escape, but her body was failing her, not allowing her to thrash in her restraints any longer, only able to just lie there and take it. Even keeping her eyes open had become too much.

She could feel the changes, but she never got to see them. She just wanted the pain to stop… It never ended, never went away. She whimpered when she vaguely heard the door open, whining as she weakly squirmed to try and break free. She didn’t know how much more she could take. Miniki sobbed, broken whimpers torn from her lips.

“No...No… No more… Le...me go… Please… No more…,,” she cried, tears falling down her face.

“Oh, Kami…,” a famaliar voice gasped, “Kakashi… Kakashi. Kakashi!!”

She knew that voice, but there was no way… They couldn’t be here… No… They had stopped searching, and she was going to die here… This was just her imagination again… More footsteps joined, a sharp intake of breath indicating that someone else was in the room. Suddenly, the IVs in her arms were carefully being taken out, straps coming undone, feelings so vivid from her usual dreams…

“Just hang on Miniki… Hold on… I’m here,” Kakashi said, his voice panicked and breathless.

She forced her eyes open to slits, wanting, needing to know this wasn’t another dream. Miniki almost cried out when she saw the two ANBU freeing her.

“Tezo...Ka-ka..shi…,” she sobbed.

“I’m so sorry… I’m so so sorry… I shouldn’t have left you alone… I’m so sorry,” Kakashi repeated

Miniki moaned in pain as she picked up, body jostling as she was carried bridal style out of the underground lab, but the contact was *human*... The arms holding her were warm and strong, smelling sweet and slightly of dog. She missed that scent, had dreamed of it for two weeks, and it was finally here, enveloping her entire world. She curled next to him, moving closer to that sweet scent and delicate warmth before she let the darkness take over.

‘You’ll be back,’ a strange voice in her head echoed, leaving her confused and worried.

Miniki had always been one to crave human interaction, needed it like she needed air. People were her way of keeping her sane. She didn’t need many, a few were fine, but she needed at least one. Just one human or animal even to keep her grounded to life. At first, it had been Ryushi… Since his death, it was Genma and Kakashi and his friends as well as Minato and Kushina. 

However, with every passing day, she found it harder and harder to get that contact. Those experiments had done something to her, she knew, but she refused to talk to anyone. She took those pitiful looks from the nurses, the sorrowful eyes of her friends, the words that were meant to be comforting but were more insulting than anything…

‘It’ll be alright…’

‘Just give it time…’

‘We’re here for you…’

Miniki stifled it, took it all with silence and suppressed her feelings. Because she had found that when she felt, was when she became deadly. A mark of a spider had been placed on her chest, much like a tattoo, sitting right between her breasts: a parting gift of Orochimaru. She didn’t know what it was per se, but she knew it reacted to how she was feeling. 

A burning sensation would spread through her body, feeling as though something was trying to dig its way out of her chest, crawling under her skin. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the sensation. Along with this came with an eery desire to kill. No one, in particular, anyone’s blood would do, and it terrified her…

It would most often happen when she woke up screaming from her nightmares, the mark on her chest throbbing with a need to feel blood on her hands coursing through her veins. However, as time went on, it started to become more frequent, regardless of how she was feeling until it was just a lingering sensation: a thirst for blood.

Miniki was terrified of herself, scared of hurting people she was supposed to protect. As a result, she decided to separate herself from everyone, keep as much distance from her and the world as possible. She couldn’t trust herself not do anything she’d regret… Miniki didn’t even speak to Genma or Minato or Kushina or Kakashi…

How could she? What could she say? What would she talk about? No. It was her job as a shinobi to not have emotion. She didn’t matter… All that mattered was… Well, nothing, but she couldn’t allow herself to become a monster… Her friends may be worried about her, but for them to be safe, she had to stay away…

Miniki stared at the ground as she walked through the streets, hands shoved in her pockets, ignoring the throb in her chest and whispers in her head that seemed to never go away. It was just another thing she had to deal with alone… A familiar voice called out to her and made her stop.

“Hey, Miniki! Wanna come to eat with us,” she heard Genma call out hopefully.

She looked back at him, eyes filled with a desire and longing to spend time with those she once hung with. 

‘Kill them...Kill them… Kill them…’

The voices in her head made her stop, filled with fear and sadness as she looked back to the ground. Miniki continued walking, making her way to the cliff. No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the voices got louder and louder and the pain in her chest became overwhelming. She limped through the forest before leaning against a tree and covering her ears. It was like they were screaming right into her ears, so loud, there was ringing in her head. She banged her head against the tree, just wanting the voices to go away

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! GET OUT GET OUT GET OUUUUUUUUUUTTT!!!”

She kept hitting her head over and over and over before collapsing on the ground and clawing at her chest. Something was moving under her skin and she tried to rip it out, certain it was what was causing all these problems. The level of discomfort and pain was something Miniki had never felt. She dug her nails into her skin, ripping her flesh apart to try and get the thing inside her out. She was screaming, crying, and writhing against the ground.

The throbbing slowly died as she rolled on her back and everything went dark…

His comrade was even more distant and quiet now, straying away and distancing herself from everyone. Even Genma and Minato were worried about her as she didn’t even talk to them. Only when it was necessary did she interact with other humans. Minato-sensei had casually asked him to follow her, see if he could find out the reason for her strange behavior.

Kakashi had only shrugged and agreed, which is why he was currently shadowing her, following Miniki as she made her way past the dumpling place.

“Hey, Miniki! Wanna come over and eat with us,” Genma asked cheerfully.

She glanced at him, her eyes emotionless, like a dead fish before continuing to walk away. There was a flash of something other than guilt… Something that made Kakashi’s eyes widen. It was fear… What could she be afraid of? It only lasted for a few seconds, but he swore it was there. 

Miniki only looked away and continued walking. Curious, he followed her, watching as she made her way to the cliff she liked to go to. There was something different about her, and Kakashi was determined to figure it out. The way she moved was almost pained, a stutter in her step as she leaned against a tree, holding her head and chest.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUUUUUUUTTT!!!”

She banged her head against the tree as a loud shout left her and she collapsed onto her knees. She ripped off her jacket and shirt, body trembling as both of her both hands went to her chest. It seemed as though she was trying to pry something off of her. Her nails were digging into her skin, tearing into her flesh, writhing in agony.

Kakashi watched in awe and shock as she screamed before falling onto her side into the fetal position, panting heavily and crying. She rolled onto her back, limbs sprawled out as she struggled to catch her breath. It was then that he saw something on her chest. It looked somewhat like a spider, a black mark on her skin. It wiggled around, as though it was alive, retracting back into her chest before disappearing completely. A strange mark of a spider appeared on the center of her chest, right in between her breasts. 

He stared at her, completely overtaken by shock at what he saw. She was limp and still, undershirt exposing her cleavage a little more than he would’ve comfortable with had he not just witnessed… What did he just witness? Kakashi debated whether or not to go check on her or get the hell out of there… He couldn’t just leave her there… He jumped down from the tree, going up to her slowly as he noticed the blood running down her chest from where her nails had scratched and ripped her skin open. Kakashi soon saw another reason for her unconsciousness: her head was busted open…

She did that to herself? It was borderline mutilation… Kakashi picked her up, deciding to take her the hospital and report to Minato as fast as possible… Just what the hell was that mark on her chest? 

He teleported to the hospital, bursting through the doors, carrying her bridal style, immediately catching the eyes of the nurses who ran over to him. They took her from his arms, playing twenty-questions with him as if he knew a damn thing that was wrong… He was still trying to figure this crap out himself! He told them as much as was necessary, but he left out some of the parts with the mark on her chest and the spider and… Ok, he just told them he was walking and found her. It seemed like the easiest story, plus he had to go to Minato.

The doctors were skeptical, but he left before they could ask him any more questions and except answers that he didn’t have. Kakashi made his way back to the Hokage’s office, knocking on the door before entering. The Hokage looked at him, eyes widening at the panicked and urgent look on his former student’s face. 

“Kakashi? What’s wrong,” he asked worriedly.

“It’s about Miniki. She’s in the hospital…,” Kakashi informed him.

“What happened? Is she alright?”

Kakashi looked down at the ground, biting his bottom lip and twiddling his thumbs as he tried to think of an explanation. It took him a long time, and by the end of it, Minato had taken Kakashi by the forearm and dragged him out of the office. He dragged him through the streets and to the hospital. 

“Sensei? What’s going on,” Kakashi asked him worriedly.

“We need to get to her. It sounds like a curse mark, and we need to seal it before she loses control…”

They barged through the doors of the hospital, demanding to see the patient. The nurses had no choice but to comply or otherwise face the Hokage’s wrath. He left them no room for argument. They entered her room to find her still lying there, not awake yet. Minato did a couple of hand signs and he pressed his palm against the ground. A circle appeared on the ground with strange markings. 

Kakashi only stood back and watched his sensei gently pick her up and lay her down in the middle of the circle. There was a soft sigh that left her lips as she was placed on the ground. He looked over at his former student.

“Where was the mark?”

He only pointed to his chest and the blonde nodded. Minato softly stroked her face, smiling at her sympathetically.

“I’m sorry… But this is going to hurt…,” he whispered to her before turning to Kakashi, “Make sure no one comes in…”

The silver-haired ANBU nodded, watching as his sensei did a few more hand signs before going out of the room as he placed a palm on her chest. Kakashi’s eyes shut as he heard screaming from the room. He wanted nothing more than to go help her, but right now, he had to stop these nurses demanding entrance. He created a couple of clones to help him calm the chaos.

“What the hell is going on?!”

“Let us in!”

Their yelling was annoying him and he punched one of the male nurses in the face, sending him flying back.

“I SAID NO!!!”

They all stopped and froze, eyes wide with horror. He heard a thump inside the room and ordered his clones to not let anyone in, snapping at the nurses to stay out. Kakashi slipped inside and saw his sensei on the ground next to Miniki.

“Sensei!”

He ran up to the blonde and softly shook him. The Hokage groaned, sitting up slowly as he rubbed his head. Kakashi sighed in relief. He glanced at Miniki, eyebrows furrowing at the sigh of the spider mark still on her chest. There were strange markings around it and she watched as her chest rose and fell with pained breaths.

“I’ve never seen a mark like this…. The seal around it isn’t strong, but I’ve infused some of my chakra in it so that if it ends up acting up, I can… I can… I can…,” his sensei swayed before nearly collapsing.

Kakashi caught him, wondering just how much charka he had used… Minato snapped himself back up, blinking rapidly. 

“Are you alright,” the silver-haired ANBU asked.

The blonde nodded and Kakashi helped him stand. The black markings on the ground disappeared and Kakashi picked the girl up and set her back on the medical bed. After that, the two walked out of the room and let the nurses enter. Neither of them spoke and refused to answer any questions. They made their way back in silence, entering the Hokage’s office.

“Kakashi, I want you to look after her… I have a bad feeling about that mark. Let me know if it gets worse… I’m counting on you… She’s like a daughter to Kushina and me, you understand?”

He nodded and with that Kakashi left.

Things seemed to clear up after that. Though Miniki was still a little distant, she was talking a bit more, and she was sent on a mission with Kakashi and Tenzou. They were sent after some rogues, assigned to take care of them. Why they needed all three, he didn’t know… They followed a very clear trail left the by rogues, so clear, it almost too easy to follow. He glanced at his teammates and knew they felt the same. However, their trail suddenly ended and they jumped down. Miniki sniffed the air, trying to catch a whiff of their scent. She only shook her head. 

“Maybe we can-”

Kakashi was cut off as kunai were thrown at them. Rope encircled their wrists and ankles and then a sharp pull knocked the three ANBU to the ground. Immediately, a multitude of rogues hopped down from the trees, laughing at the current predicament the younger ninja were in.

“That was too easy,” a man in all black snickered.

Another man with blonde hair smirked as he walked toward them.

“Night night…”

The last thing they saw was a foot coming towards their face and then everything went black.

When Miniki woke up, she found herself hanging from a ceiling, wrists bound with chains. Her teammates were the same, still not have woken up yet. She swung her body and kicked Kakashi’s shin a few times, trying to stir him awake. 

“Kashi, get up… C’mon… Wake up!”

“So, you’re awake,” the man in all black from earlier said from across the room.

She glared at him, his face covered with a mask that was much like Kakashi’s. Three more men trailed behind him and she recognized them all as the people who had kidnapped them. Whatever happened, she had to keep her team safe. 

“You three are pretty young for ANBU huh,” a male with blonde hair and hazel eyes commented.

She didn’t respond, still content to just stare them dead in soul with hate rolling off of her in waves.

“How cute… Look at how she still thinks she can do something,” another man with black hair and dark eyes laughed.

Miniki snapped her head over as she heard Kakashi and Tenzou groan as they started to wake up. The men snickered and walked towards her comrades.

“LEAVE THEM ALONE,” she growled.

“Listen here, girlie, you can’t save yourself,” the man in all black hissed as he threw a kunai right at her. 

It pierced through her shoulder and she let out a muffled cry.

“And you can’t save your friends,” he said simply.

He went over to Kakashi and held a kunai against Kakashi’s neck. Her eyes were wide with horror. She couldn’t lose him… She couldn’t… 

“No...No...Don't…”

“Say goodbye to your friend…”

“NOOOOOO!!!”

There was a pain in her chest that spread throughout her body, mind blanking out as she ripped the chains off the ceiling and snapped her wrists free. Metal clasps were still around her wrists, chains trailing behind her as she ran to the man holding a kunai against Kakashi’s neck and kicked him away. She pushed him to the ground, screaming in outrage.

‘KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL’

She was on top of him in seconds, stealing his kunai and stabbing him right in the neck, blood splattering on her face. Someone yanked her back and threw her to the ground. SHe snarled, the man in all black walking forward to attack her. Miniki hissed and growled, wrestling with the two other men. More rogues burst in, and she did a few hand signs and created one blade of wind and the other of fire. 

No matter what they did, they couldn’t touch her. Miniki dodged everything, slicing through them like paper. In taijutsu, they stood no chance. She was too fast to see. Miniki grabbed two of the rogues by the wrists, pulling them into each other so their heads smashed into one another and dropped their bodies to the ground. By now, there was only one left… The man in black...

She looked at him, eyes overtaken with something dark and evil, set out to kill… He started backing away, eyes wide with fear, begging her to stop and that he was sorry and to spare him. His pleas went past deaf ears as she charged at him, immediately knocking him to the ground.

Her hands wrapped around his neck, squeezing the life out of him. He tried to pry her hands off, but it was no use. His body fell limp and still, but Miniki wasn’t done… She grabbed one of the kunai on the ground and started stabbing him over and over and over and over and over.

Kakashi and Tenzou managed to break free and ran over to her, grabbing her wrist and stopping her from stabbing the man. She turned on them, completely gone as she lunged at Kakashi, tackling him to the ground.

“MINIKI STOP!!”

She attempted to stab him when Tenzou pulled her off and she kicked him away. She was unable to tell friend from foe, and she couldn’t care less. All she knew was that she had to kill…She went back to Kakashi, slashing the kunai at him like a crazy person. All he could do was dodge and try to pin her, but she moved to fast for an opening. 

“MINIKI IT’S US! STOP! IT’S ME KAKASHI!!”

That seemed to get through to her as she stopped and screamed, holding her head as she fought for control. The kunai dropped to the floor with a cling, and Kakashi’s eyes were wide as she cried. Suddenly, her eyes went back to normal and she fell to her knees.

“I’m so sorry…”

Her body fell forward, and everything went black once more...

Kakashi reported back to Minato about what happened, and the Hokage was deeply concerned. He knew his sensei was worried for her, so he decided to change the subject to something more pleasant.

“How is Kushina coming along,” he asked the Hokage.

Those blue orbs lit up and it warmed Kakashi’s heart. 

“The baby is being delivered tomorrow…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, suggestions, request, and comments are always welcome! Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait... I was having trouble finding out how I wanted to continue this... But anyway, here is the long-awaited chapter! Enjoy!
> 
> Warning: Underage sex, Suicide

Miniki’s world shattered around her when she heard of Kushina’s and Minato’s death. To hear her parents died… A second time… Sent her spiraling out of control. If only she wasn’t in the hospital, she might’ve been able to help… If only she wasn’t so fucking weak… It was too much for her. That voice in her head was stronger still, and the urges were getting harder to ignore. 

Multiple times she had woken up to find herself at the edge of the village, her feet carrying her to an unknown destination. It was terrifying because she knew that the final destination was somewhere she didn’t want to be, but it was like she was slowly being taken over and possessed by this raw desire to follow and sedate her bloodlust. 

Miniki wanted nothing more than to rip whoever killed Minato and Kushina heart out of their chest with her bare hands. She wanted to listen to them scream and beg for mercy. She wanted to feel their blood on her hands and skin. She wanted to watch the life drain from their eyes. She wanted to see the fear that they felt knowing they were going to die…And she would smile at them…

Stop! Damnit! 

‘Come to me, child… I can take your pain away…’

“Who are you? What do you want? Where will I go?”

‘These are answers I can give you… Come to me…’

It was a gentle encouragement, but it was an enticing one. One that had her feet carrying her away once again, letting herself teeter on the edge. Why did she it fight it so much? It would be so much easier to let this thing, whatever it was, take control… No more fighting, no more nightmares, no more pain… She could drift…

‘That’s it… Let go… Let me take your pain away…’

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Stay in control. Lock it down. Lock it down. Lock it down. Lock it down, but she couldn’t. Miniki needed something… Anything to shut this damned voice up. The temptation was drowning her. She sighed and got up when a knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. Oh yeah, that’s right, she was going to train with Guy today…

She quickly got dressed and opened the door and Guy’s usual smile fell off his face as he looked at her.

“What happened? Are you alright,” he asked.

“I’m fine. C’mon, let’s go.”

They made their way to the training grounds and wasted no time in sparring. As expected Guy was certain in his abilities and had declared he would beat her. Miniki said nothing as they moved in a flurry of kicks and punches and blocks, moving way to fast to see in the graceful match. She threw an arm up to protect her face from a kick, noting its weight and strength. 

He was indeed very fast and Miniki had a hard time keeping up with him. She refused to use any ninjutsu when she sparred with Guy; she wanted to know what it was like to rely on just her body rather than chakra. Miniki managed to block his kick and then punch his chest, pushing him back before wrapping her legs around his waist and bending her body as she brought him to the ground before holding a kunai to his neck. He giggled and blushed, declaring it wouldn’t be so easy next time. Then, they continued their training with him showing her more taijutsu.

“When are you going to tell Kakashi how you feel,” her friend asked suddenly, causing her to stop and blush.

“What- What are you talking about,” she asked, feigning confusion as Guy attempted to kick her.

He huffed and rolled his eyes.

“C’mon! You practically get all googly-eyed when he’s around! It’s the springtime of youth, Miniki-chan!”

She grabbed his leg and yanked upward, forcing him to backflip away to land on his feet before he rushed her once again.

“Besides… It’s obvious he likes you too,” he said casually as he threw lightning-fast punches at her.

He used her brief moment of shock to pin her down, a strong hand on her shoulder to keep her pinned as he hovered over her.

“If you don’t tell him, I will…,” he threatened.

“You wouldn’t…”

They were both too caught up in their conversation to notice Kakashi approaching.

“I hope I’m not interuppting…,” his smooth voice observed.

Miniki blushed and instantly got to her feet as she scratched the back of her head. Guy was beaming as he went over to the silver-haired shinobi.

“My eternal rival! Perfect timing! You weren’t interrupting at all. There was something Miniki-chan wanted to talk to you about, right Miniki,” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

She stuttered and stared at her feet.

“Is that so,” Kakashi hummed as he crossed his arms.

“Well, I’ll leave you two alone,” Guy said before disappearing.

The two ANBU stood in silence as Miniki struggled to get over her embarrassment.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

She gulped and began twiddling with her thumbs.

“Oh! Umm… Well, funny story… Uhh… Well, you see… Ummm… I-I-I…”

Suddenly, she flung her arms around him and kissed him deeply, letting out a soft sigh at the feel of his lips against hers. Kakashi was too stunned to do anything as Miniki realized what she was doing and quickly pulled away.

“I’m sorry! I don’t know what-”

Kakashi pulled her back, smashing his lips back against hers wrapping his arms around her waist and teleported them to his house, quickly getting his key and opening the door and pulling them inside. 

As soon as they were inside, their lips were crashing together, contact blocked by his mask, but neither of them cared, and Miniki used her foot to kick the door closed and was immediately pinned against it. There was nothing gentle about the actions: all passion and desperation, the release of pent of feelings that each of them had suppressed, but still unaware that the other felt the same. The mark on her chest buzzed and throbbed under her skin, but Miniki wasn’t scared by it.

“Once I start, I won’t be able to stop,…” Kakashi gasped.

“Good,” she breathed against his lips.

He growled and kissed and sucked at her neck, keeping her arms pinned above her head. She fought against him for control, but it wasn’t to stop. It was more arousing than anything. He brought their lips together once more, their tongues fighting for dominance before he broke away.

“Bedroom…”

She nodded and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her from the door. Their lips struggled to stay connected as they ripped off their clothes, desperate for more contact. Really, it was all Miniki’s desperation and Kakashi knew better than to question and followed along. Plus, the fact that he was already attracted to her helped out. By the time they made it to his bedroom, Miniki was down to her bra and panties and Kakashi only wore his boxers and mask.

He threw her on the bed and pounced on her. The way he looked at her could only be described as animalistic and predatory. Good. Gentleness was not welcome here. He wasted no time kissing down her body, avoiding where she wanted him most. Hissing, she threw her leg around his waist and flipped them over so she was on top. Kakashi gasped at this, surprised by her taking control. 

Miniki was rougher kissing down his body, wasting no time with teasing as she made her way down. The kunoichi was in no mood for games. Kakashi moaned under her ministrations, breath hitching as she tore off his boxers and instantly sucked him into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around his tip, cheeks hollowing and sucking him harder, creating a seal around him. He was shocked by how good she was. Had she done this before?

No. Unlike him, she had been more private with her promiscuity, reading Icha Icha in her apartment alone, taking in every word, every tip, every detail with calculating eyes. She practiced with the single toy she had bought to try and find escape by herself. But Miniki was broken alone…

However, Kakashi was unable to figure out the answer for himself as she sucked as much of him in her mouth as possible, using her hand to take what her mouth couldn’t. He revealed his Sharingan, wanting to record and remember this moment, capture every detail, lock it into his brain because he was unsure if he’d ever get this opportunity again, even if it wasn’t what he particularly imagined.

She moaned around him, choking herself on the sweet dick in her mouth, loving the taste of his skin. She focused solely on pleasing him, finally able to release these feelings she held for so long. Kakashi was quiet as she continued, but she didn’t mind.

Miniki wasn’t concerned with his silence, she could tell by the nearly silent pants, sharp thrust of his hips, eyes that were closed in a haziness of bliss that he was enjoying everything. When your life depended on not making a noise, it becomes a force of habit, a lifestyle, something most could never understand. However, something that could never be suppressed, never fully go away, is body language, and it was sexier than any noise could allow. To watch someone fall apart beneath them, body writhing with the intense pleasure it received, hips stuttering in an attempt to hold out just a little longer, was intoxicating. 

To draw out noises was a rare feat and one that she didn’t mind giving up, but would strive to hear anyway. It was a bonus to hear those soft grunts, quiet moans, broken pants, and muffled breaths. She was lost in sucking him so perfectly, eyes shut in bliss. A sharp pull on her hair snapped her back and Kakashi pulled her back up his body to crash his lips against hers.

There was a time and place for dirty talk, but this was not it. This was time to forget, for control, for dominance, for escape. Both of them could see it, and all that was needed was a glance into the other's eyes to know. The way Kakashi was looking at her now, Miniki could see so clearly, knew everything from those dilated pupils alone: ‘I am going to ravage you’.

Her bra was ripped off and Kakashi mumbled an apology even though he didn’t need to. She had more and would live. Right now, all she needed was to feel him. He kissed and sucked on her breasts, leaving marks on each one. Her head fell back as she bit her lip, her hands fisting into his silver locks and making him moan softly. Once he was satisfied with marking her breasts, he kissed down her body and then took off her panties, throwing them somewhere in the dark and bare room.

Kakashi devoured her like a starved animal, sucking on her clit, borderline biting. A sharp intake of breath was ripped from her lips and she held his head there, softly gasping as his fingers slid into her leaking sex. He could smell the arousal on her flesh, wonderfully overwhelming all of his senses. It wasn’t long under he was adding another finger, pressing them deeper, harder, scissoring her open for something much better. He curled his fingers, hitting a beautiful spot inside her that made her see stars. 

She was unable to hold back the moans that fell past her lips. A third finger sliding in, all fucking her so hard with absolute perfection. His moans around her most sensitive flesh made her shudder, and she gave no warning as she came against his tongue. Pleasure coursed in her veins, like her heart pumping blood through her body. Kakashi pulled back and kissed her on the lips, allowing her to taste herself on his tongue before putting his mask back on before fully see his face.

“Condom… Hurry… ,” she pleaded.

He nodded and reached into his dresser. He put the condom on, holding her wild gaze as he pushed himself inside her slowly. Her head fell back and a quiet curse fell from her lips with broken breath. He, too, was doing no better. She was so tight around him, like heaven as he pushed deeper and deeper until he sheathed inside her.

She nodded and he started moving, soft moans and pants echoing through the room. She wrapped a leg around his waist to pull him closer, deeper, gasping when he hit that wonderful spot inside her once more. Miniki moaned, head falling back at how amazing he felt, but it wasn’t enough.

“Harder… Kashi, harder,” she breathed out.

He was more than happy to oblige the request as he sped up, hips snapping forward roughly.

“Harder,” she growled once more.

Now, he was hesitant, but the look in her eyes told, showed him everything he needed, what she needed. Kakashi nodded and started to fuck her with a brutal pace, holding nothing back. Curses, moans, gasps, broken breaths and whimpers filling the room as they approached their end. The headboard thumped against the wall, bodies lurching with every powerful thrust of Kakashi’s hips, sending them into a frenzy of pleasure. His fingers went down to stroke her clit roughly.

Miniki was the first to fall apart, screaming his name like a prayer, sending him over the edge as he came as well. Worlds faded into nothingness, the only sound their erratic heartbeats that pounded rapidly. Time stopped in absolution, everything disappearing until all that existed was their connection and pleasure, overcome with euphoria.

Kakashi collapsed next to her, slowly pulling out and panting heavily as he pulled her into his chest. Miniki was no better, still lost in the hazy bliss as she slowly came down from her high. 

“Thank you,” she breathed out against his chest.

He only hummed in response, pulling her closer. Slowly, as she slipped into darkness, and the three words she had been too terrified to say slipped out.

“I love you,” she whispered before falling asleep against his chest.

His eyes were wide as saucers as he gazed down at her, fondness and shock in those multi-colored eyes. He didn’t know what to say or do after that, so he just stayed silent, trying to process the feelings in his chest. 

Kakashi just stared down at her, a hand on his face. Those words were almost forbidden to shinobi, because they know that they’re expendable, and every day could be their last. Those three words mean accepting that you have a weakness, allowing yourself to be vulnerable, admit that you have an opening to be used against you. Love is dangerous in this life, which is why most ended up locking themselves away and becoming a shell of their former existence. Of course, some don’t follow that norm, such as Kurenai and Asuma, but even then…

An even greater risk was the loss… To have that love ripped away from you, tearing your very soul apart. Crushing your existence is worse than opening yourself up to another. Kakashi had seen what it does, and it was never pretty. Denial was painful, but it was easier, and a much better alternative than to have your partner die. 

There was only one thing the silver-haired ANBU could do in this situation, and that was to distance himself as much as possible from her. Kakashi couldn’t even get through step one to open himself up and he sure as shit couldn’t lose her if he did… This was what he knew how to do: run, deny, hide. Feelings were foreign to him, a strange thing he couldn’t understand, and he didn’t like what he didn’t know. Attachments were deadly, that he had learned from experience… Never again could he put himself in that situation… 

Kakashi didn’t sleep, could only watch Miniki rest peacefully. How was she able to do that? She had to know what she said… There was no way she didn’t…Right? When she woke up, would she still feel the same? There were so many questions he didn’t have answers to, and he wasn’t going to figure them out…

________

Miniki woke up alone, feeling well-rested. That was the best she had slept in months, years since Ryushi… She looked around trying to make sense of her bearings, memories of last night slowly returning. She got up and found her clothes… Somewhat… She didn’t plan this out well, or at all.

Damnit, Guy…. 

Miniki sighed, running a hand over her face. She just told him she loved him… Well, at least she was able to own it. There was no taking it back now. 

She saw one of Kakashi’s shirts of the bed and slipped it on, eyes scrunching at the thought of wearing her panties from last night. Oh well… It was only temporary until she went back home….Her bra was torn, and she sighed. Miniki left the room, going to try and find Kakashi, suddenly annoyed that he just left alone the room… She found him in the kitchen, shirtless, wearing only his mask and sweatpants.

“Hey,” she said cheerfully.

He hummed not even looking at her. Miniki walked over to him, looking over his shoulder to see what he was cooking. 

“Hey, about last night-”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, cutting her off.

Don’t worry about it? Was he serious? She told Kakashi she loved him and he tells her not to worry about it? He better be talking about how she sprung it on him, otherwise, she wouldn’t know what to do.

“Oh… Ok...And about what I said-”

“Here.”

He held a plate out to her that had eggs and toast on it. She took it and he walked to a table and started to eat. She was confused by his sudden coldness. Had she done something wrong?

“Thanks… I meant what I said… About how I feel… And-”

Once more, he cut her off, holding out a sweatshirt.

“You can wear this. Sorry about your clothes.”

Miniki was thoroughly irritated now as she snatched the sweatshirt.

“Would you just listen for a moment,” she snapped before saying in a normal voice, “Thanks.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her, wearing that same bored expression he always did. 

“I’m sorry if I sprung this on you… I just-... I’m scared… I don’t know what to do anymore… Anyways, I seriously do like you and I was wondering if you’d like to go on a date with me?”

There was heavy silence as he stared at her.

“No thanks,” he said coolly before holding out some sweatpants, “you can wear these. Sorry about your clothes.”

Miniki was beyond shocked. She didn’t care that he rejected her, but to be such an asshole about it was not ok. 

“What the hell is your problem?! I don’t care that you said no, I’m not that crazy, but you don’t have to be so,” she waved her hands with dramatic anger.

“So what?”

“So rude! You’re a perverted, egotistical asshole! I opened myself up to you and this is what I-”

She was cut off by an intense throbbing in her chest along with a loud ringing in her ears. She was so mad she couldn’t see straight. Her blood boiled with the desire to feel hot red liquid on her skin. It was worse because she still cared because she still liked him and had these feelings that she couldn’t suppress, but it was so hard to control the profound rage running through her veins. She wanted to feel his blood on her...

Miniki was cut off as she groaned holding her head. The pain there was almost crippling. She stumbled backward, forcing herself to remain in control. She felt a hand on her shoulder and could faintly hear Kakashi asking if she was alright. She slapped his hand away and growled at him before storming out, slamming the door behind her with incredible force.

She started running, not even knowing where she was going. An unseen force was driving her to some unknown place, and at this point, Miniki was in too much pain to stop it. It wasn’t until that raging bloodlust came back with an unrelenting force that she got control of herself to stop in her tracks. It was then that she noticed what exactly she was doing… A civilian was cowering in fear in an ally as she towered over the helpless woman with a kunai. 

In shock, she gasped and dropped the kunai before turning and running the other direction. It was clear to Miniki now that she was out of control. With no one left that she could trust or confide in, she decided on the final option.

__________

Someone once asked her what she desired most in this world. At the time, she was too young, too stupid, too naive. No answer came to mind. But now, standing here, the sun beating down on her skin, Miniki believed she found it. She knew now, what she wanted… Everything was so clear.

She took a deep breath in, savoring the way the air went through her nose, for it would be the last time she would ever breathe like this again. She summoned her bears, giving Tundra and Chi-Chi a couple of notes to deliver. Benjy, however, only had one, and it was to be delivered straight to Kakashi.

Minki couldn’t go through with this without letting people know. That was just wrong. After sending the animals away, she stood in her place for a couple of moments before making her way to the cliff. It didn’t take too long before she was standing on the edge, glancing down at the ravine below. The path down was filled with jagged rocks and ledges, but Miniki wasn’t worried about it. She deserved this pain. Her end should be slow, torturous, and gruesome… She didn’t want a swift or painless death. No… This was how she would have her retribution. It was how she would atone for her sins… It was how she would die...

With a final breath, she shut her eyes and stepped off...

'Minato... Kushina... Mom... Dad... Ryushi.... I'll be with you soon...'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback, comments, suggestions, and requests are appreciated! I love you guys!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may or may not be the last chapter... Not quite sure yet... The characters might be a little ooc in this chapter... Deal with it xD/*

Kakashi wandered through the streets of Konoha, hands shoved in his pockets, eyes staring down at the ground. A familiar voice called out to him and he turned to see Miniki’s summon animal- a bear named Benjy - running towards him. He found this odd since she wasn’t on any mission.

“Benjy? What are you doing here?”

“Miniki has a note for you,” the brown bear informed him.

“About what,” he asked.

“Didn’t say.

The silver-haired nin had a bad feeling swirling in his chest as he took the note from the bear and unraveled it. His eyes widened at the words.

‘Kakashi… I have nowhere else to turn… I have done something really bad and this mark on my chest is changing me… I can’t fight it much longer… I will make sure I never hurt anyone again… I am going to see Minato, Kushina, and Ryushi very soon now… Hopefully, you won’t have to see me again… Forgive me Kakashi....’

Dropping the paper to the ground, he urged the animal to go with him. Benjy was worried now as well, asking what was on the note. Kakashi could barely respond. A note like this could mean nothing good, and if his suspicions were correct…

“I think she’s gonna kill herself. We have to find her,” Kakashi said to the brown bear.

Benjy gasped and ran alongside him. He followed the bear to the forest and down a familiar path. One where he had followed Miniki down… and it was only now that he realized where Miniki was and that was when he left Benjy behind and ran as fast as he could through the trees towards the cliff. 

He arrived in time to see her body falling and he leaped from one of the trees and off the cliff, pooling the chakra at his feet to dash across the cliff’s jagged surface and catching her before she could be mangled by the jagged rocks.

It appeared she already had been as there were a plethora of cuts on her skin and her clothes were torn. Blood oozed out and dripped down her body, staining her ripped outfit. It was obvious that she hit the ledges on her decent.

Kakashi let out a sigh of relief that he got there in time as he teleported back to his apartment. Benjy had shockingly followed, surprising the Copy Nin, and the bear had pushed his way in and waited until Kakashi set her down gently on his couch and went to get some medical supplies that the bear sniffed its summoner.

Kakashi wondered what the bear was sniffing her for as Benjy backed up and let Kakashi through to his comrade. Her body was littered with bruises and cuts and he wondered why she didn't choose a different spot to jump. Surely, the spot she chose would be slower and filled with pain as she would have kept tumbling on the ragged ledges and rocks…. Why not chose a spot where the fall would be smooth and quick and deadly?

He pushed the thought away as he continued to work on her, cleaning the wounds of her body with a grim expression. Kakashi wondered why she jumped in the first place. Was it because of him? He sincerely hoped not because if she jumped because of his coldness, he would never forgive himself…

“She was in great distress and heartbroken when going to the cliffs… She asked Tundra and Chi-Chi to deliver notes to her friends… She didn’t say what was on them… She reeked of fear from another villager but refused to speak about it…”

So he was responsible… Partially at least... As soon as he was done, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and Benjy poofed away. He went over to the door and opened it to see Guy, Asuma, Genma, and Kurenai at his doorstep. Guy, like always, was being overdramatic.

“KAKASHI! IT’S HORRIBLE! MINIKI IS GOING TO-”

“Relax… She’s safe. I got her,” Kakashi said, gesturing to his teammate before saying, “Please stop yelling.”

The ANBU joined his friends outside and softly shut the door.

“What drove her to do this,” Kurenai muttered sadly.

Kakashi lowered his head, eyes depressed and downcast and his comrades didn’t fail to notice. Genma was suspicious as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the Copy-Nin.

“Kakashi… What happened,” Genma asked.

He explained how Miniki confessed her feelings to him and how he pushed her away and set off the mark on her chest. Both Genma’s and Guy’s fists clenched. His rival’s head lowered, casting an ominous shadow over his face.

“Kakashi…” Guy murmured.

He looked up at his friend in time for his fist to connect with his face which sent him stumbling back and to his knees. He held a hand up to his face, coming back with blood and looked up at his rival with shock.

“I was the one who told her to tell you how she felt… I thought that maybe if you could see that someone out there cares for you that you could be happy… I guess I was wrong…”

“Guy…”

But his friend didn’t stay to listen, choosing instead to just walk away from him. Genma looked down at him with disgust and rage, teeth clenched as he shook his head. It was obvious that he wanted to beat Kakashi to a pulp for doing this to Miniki who he viewed as his sister… Kakashi didn’t blame him… He wished he would, but like Guy, Genma just turned around and walked off with his rival. Kurenai and Asuma watched the two leave and then turned back to their friend who was sulking now.

“Are you alright,” Asuma asked.

Kakashi nodded, but he was beating himself up inside.

“Do you need anything,” Kurenai questioned sympathetically.

He shook his head, and the two took it as their cue to leave him alone as they left him. The ANBU went inside and waited for Miniki to wake up. He had a lot of explaining to do…

_______________

It was a few more hours before Miniki woke up and when she did, she instantly wished she was back unconscious… Man, death sucks… Who knew she’d be in so much pain? The ANBU forced her eyes open, adjusting to the light and took a slight glimpse of her surroundings before attempting to sit up, which turned out to be a bad idea as her entire body screamed in objection.

“Hey, not so fast,” a familiar voice scolded.

She looked over and saw Kakashi sitting on a chair next to her, gently easing her back down on the couch she was lying on. So… not dead… Well shit… This sucks...

“Kakashi? What-? Why? How did you-”

“I’m sorry,” he said, cutting her off.

Miniki blinked at him. Sorry? Why would he be-... Oh… That…

“I shouldn't have been so cold… You didn’t deserve that and I-”

“Stop…”

He looked at her with shock.

“Kakashi… It’s best if we just forget what I said…,” she told him, standing up slowly despite Kakashi telling her to lie down.

She swayed a little on her feet, but after being reminded of what happened before her swan dive, she was eager to get out of here.

"I promise I won’t burden you with any more of my feelings… It was my fault anyway… Just do me a favor and stay away from me…”

Miniki’s hand was twisting the doorknob and she was just about to open the door.

“No! Wait,” Kakashi called out to her.

Despite her better judgment, she turned to look back at him. Damn him for being her weakness…

“I’d like to go on that date with you,” he confessed.

She paused. Did she hear him correctly? Miniki sighed, her grip loosening as she stared at the ground. Again… Damn him… Why was he so cute?

“I’ll think about it,” she said before walking out and leaving Kakashi behind.

Damnit...

________________

Of all things to happen… She had to get stuck on a mission with Kakashi… She was still trying to figure out her feelings for him and she hasn’t spoken to him since that night… And of all missions… A surveillance one at that… Miniki sighed as she watched the suspected shinobi. Suspected of what? She didn’t know… Lord Third didn’t go that far. He merely told them who to watch and inform him if they did anything strange.

She watched the small shack boredly, searching for any sign of… Anything… It was in the middle of the night, so no one would choose to be awake at this hour… Miniki hated surveillance… Suddenly, a shift in some leaves in a tree next to her caught her attention. She knew who it was and internally sighed as Kakashi appeared next to her.

“Kakashi… What are you doing here,” she asked.

“Have you thought about it yet,” Kakashi questioned, ignoring her own.

Her head tilted in confusion.

“About wha-... Oh… Sure… Why?”

“And…?”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Are you sure this is the best time, Kakashi,” she huffed.

Kakashi merely shrugged.

“There’s nothing else to do....,” he stated blatantly.

Well, he had her there… There was nothing to do at the moment… Damnit… Miniki didn’t want to go through this right now. She struggled to think of an excuse to avoid answering his question.

“Miniki… You’ve been avoiding me for weeks…,” he said, not needing to say anything more to pressure her.

She looked at him and crossed her arms.

“Let’s finish this mission…,” she said, not missing the slight drop of his shoulders or defeated sigh before she smirked, “ Then when we’re back in Konoha… I’ll go on a date with you...”

The instant shift in his body was amusing as well as adorable, though Miniki doubted he meant it to be so obvious, it was still clear as day to her. Still, a part of her wondered if she should go at all…

If he was anyone else this wouldn't have been a problem… But it was him and she could never, no matter how hard she might try, she could never ignore Kakashi...

______________

“KURENAI! KURENAI IT’S AWFUL,” Miniki exclaimed, flopping on her friend’s couch.

The woman laughed and the ANBU moved her legs so her friend so could sit next to her. Miniki’s hands were covering her face as she groaned dramatically. She was going through a life crisis! She was sure this was one of the hardest missions she has ever had, and it wasn’t even a mission!

“I have nothing to wear! I don’t know how to do makeup or hair! I’ve never even been on a date before! Oh, Kurenai, I’m going to blow it! Nothing has even happened and it’s already a disaster!”

Her friend chuckled at Miniki.

“I think you’re overthinking this… It's just dinner at his house… It will be fine… I’m not used to seeing you like this,” she reassured.

“You have to help me!”

Kurenai hummed and smiled and said that she could borrow some of her clothes and that she could help with her hair and makeup. After that, Miniki let out a relieved sigh and thanked the woman profusely.

She decided on a casual outfit that Kurenai picked out. It consisted of a blue, short-sleeved, hooded jacket along with a black tube top. She wore yoga-like capris with some of the sides cut out with a dark blue, short skirt and fingerless gloves. The sandals she wore were different than she was used to. These had some heel to them and it was kind of hard to walk in them, but she managed with a little practice and help from her friend…

Kurenai had pulled her hair back in a half-up ponytail with her bangs framing the sides of her face. The makeup her friend had put on “enhanced her features”. When Miniki looked in the mirror, she didn’t even recognize herself. She was so used to her ANBU uniform and her hair in a messy bun or ponytail that wearing normal clothes was… Weird looking…

“My face feels heavy and my feet hurt and I don’t like this hair in my face,” Miniki complained.

“Oh stop. You look great! Kakashi will lose his collective mind,” Kurenai scolded.

Miniki looked at the time and panicked.

“Eeeeekkk!! I have to go to meet Kakashi!!! Thank you Kurenai,” she said as she ran out.

Damn these shoes… They were slowing her down. It took longer than she wanted, but she finally made it. Straightening out her outfit, she knocked on the door and waited for a second before Kakashi opened it. The sight of him wearing casual clothes was enough to bring a blush to her cheeks.

He complimented her and then welcomed her, making her blush even harder. The meal was superb. She had no idea he could cook! She was so lost in the taste she didn’t see him eat, but she only had her eyes closed for a minute!

“Kakashi-san, you eat so fast! I didn’t even see you take your mask off!”

He smirked and then smiled. Then they proceeded to talk about funny stories they had during missions together or in general, making small talk as she finished her food.

“That was really good! Thank you,” she said with a smile.

“I’m flattered,” he replied as he took her plate, ignoring her attempts to try and help him clean up.

“Eh!… You made me food and let me see your home. The least I could do is help you clean!”

“Forget about it. Besides, I’d like to show you something,” he explained as he took her hand in his and led her outside.

A blush spread across her cheeks as she kept up with him. After a little bit, he told her to close her eyes.

“How will I follow you then?”

He smirked and then grabbed her hand once more. She rolled her eyes before shutting them. Apparently, that wasn’t enough as he undid her hia-ete and tied it around her eyes.

“Is this necessary,” she huffed.

“Probably not. But it’s more fun.”

She rolled her eyes behind the protector and then let him lead her as she tried not to stumble. Eventually, he picked her up and carried her on his back as he started jumping. She gasped and then held on tighter from her initial shock which only made Kakashi laugh. 

Finally, he let her down, keeping a hand on her to make sure she kept steady. Miniki was blushing so hard from the indignity of it all… He moved behind her and slowly undid the hia-ete.

“You can open your eyes…”

When Miniki opened her eyes, she let out a sharp inhale and smiled. She realized they were on the statues of the Hokage. The view of the village was beautiful. She could still hear the faint buzzing of people of the village and some of the light still reached the statues. Miniki smiled as she walked forward, letting her feet dangle as a soft breeze blew hair into her face that she pushed away in annoyance. Kakashi joined her at the edge.

“It’s beautiful Kakashi…”

“I knew you’d like it…”

She smiled as she slid her hand on his. Both ANBU blushed and avoided looking at each other.

“I really like you Kakashi…”

He blushed harder and looked away. He looked so cute when he was flustered.

“Uhh… Same here…,” he stuttered.

Miniki frowned, removing her hand from his as she leaned back and crossed her arms.

“Then say it…”

His eyes widened and he recoiled a little bit, twiddling with his thumbs as he struggled to speak but unable to form a sentence. Her eyes narrowed before she let out a sad sigh… Her head lowered as tears fell. Of course, he couldn’t say he liked her back… He never had feelings for her in the first place… He just felt bad for hurting her feelings…

“I knew it…,” she muttered.

“Miniki?”

“All you had to do was say sorry… If you don’t like me just say that! Stop leading me on,” she yelled before running away, ignoring how he called out to her.

She let her feet carry her through the trees, not caring how the branches whipped her face. How could she be so blind as to think he could like her in that way? Did she let her feelings get to her head? Idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot!

Eventually, the trees opened up to a lake… Her safe place… Her breath came out in soft pants as she took off her sandals. Miniki wiped her eyes as she wiggled her toes on the plush grass before going to the water and soaking her feet. She picked up a rock and skipped it along the water, the soothing sound of the waterfall calming her nerves.

It was a familiar feeling… It reminded her of when she had taken Kakashi here for the first time… It seemed like an eternity ago… So much had happened since then. How naive she was… How naive she is…

She sensed him before anything else, smiling softly as he landed next to her. Miniki grabbed another rock and skipped it along the water as he stood next to her in silence.

“I thought I’d find you here…,” he said, but his voice was breathless.

“Why did you follow me,” she asked.

He sat next to her and grabbed a rock and mimicked her action of skipping it along the water’s surface.

“It’s obvious isn’t it…”

She looked up at him in confusion.

“Because I like you Miniki,” he said.

She gasped, her eyes widening, mouth going dry, heart-stopping and skipping multiple beats as she just stared into his gray eyes which were sincere and truthful. An unseen force drew her closer as she wrapped her hand in his.

“I thought you were annoying at first. I hated you… But then, you cried on that mission and something changed… I wanted to keep hating you, but I couldn’t… The closer you got, the more I wanted to push you away, but I wanted to stay near you at the same time… And that night you said you loved me, I didn’t sleep… I thought about all the ways I could lose you, but you… You were able to confess your feelings. Even if you didn’t mean to at the moment, you stood by it… Even though from the very beginning I was so nasty to you, you stood by me…”

His voice drew Miniki into a strange trance where all that existed was his voice, his presence, his heart that she never got to see… Until now. All exposed on display. She had a feeling that this was rare, if not once-in-a-lifetime occasion and she planned to savor every moment...

“I know now that there are more ways to lose you… I should’ve stood by you as you have done for me...Miniki… I’m sorry for what I said that night… I’m sorry for how cruel I was to you… I’m sorry I pushed you away. Please forgive me and give me another chance…”

She was crying now as she smiled brightly at him.

"You're lucky you're cute…"

He blushed and stuttered, shocked by her reply.

“Who knew you could get so red, Kakashi? You’re so adorable when you’re embarrassed,” she joked.

“Hey I’m trying to be nice here,” he pouted.

“I know! Where is my Kakashi who reads Icha Icha and is the too cool-to-hang-out-with-people loner,” she quipped back.

He only pouted harder before they started to laugh. Because he was laughing, it only made her laugh, thus making Kakashi laugh harder, and the cycle continued until they were rolling on the ground. Neither of them knew what exactly they were laughing about… Maybe it was because of how they were being touchy-feely. Maybe it was because what she said about him was true. Maybe it was because this “situation” was utterly ridiculous. Either way, there was a certain light-heartedness in the air that made it impossible not to laugh.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity. They sat up next to each other, his hand on top of hers as they caught their breath.

“We suck at this ‘emotion’ business huh,” she chuckled.

“Yea,” he agreed.

She picked up a rock and watched it bounce across the water before sinking into the lake. Suddenly, a blush formed on her cheeks and she squeezed his hand a little harder causing him to look over at her.

“Miniki? Is everything alright?”

“Hey… Kakashi…”

“Hmm?”

She leaned forward and kissed him.

“I love you."

He was shocked for a minute before smiling.

“I love you too.”

Maybe… Just maybe… Things will be alright...But right as they leaned in for another kiss, Miniki sensed something that sent shivers down her spine. Kakashi seemed to sense it too as he stood up and looked around. Both of them were on guard and Miniki’s heart stopped as she saw who stepped out from the trees.

“Orochimaru-sama…”

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she held up her kunai. Kakashi stepped in front of her protectively.

“Admirable of you to protect your comrade Kakashi-kun… But you should step away from the girl…,” he said.

“Not a chance,” the silver-haired shinobi growled, throwing his kunai at him.

Orochimaru dodged it, and Miniki spits a water bullet at him which he deflected as well.

The ANBU growled and stayed together, combining their attacks to try and overwhelm the Sannin. Unfortunately, he managed to separate them with a clone and Miniki knew it was over then.

“Now that he’s out of the way… It’s just you and me,” he purred.

“Screw you,” she hissed.

She tried to fight him, but she knew it was useless… He eventually kicked her down and pinned her.

“Let me go!! KAKASHI!!!!”

“He won’t help you…”

Orochimaru placed a hand on her chest and suddenly, an intense pain ran through her body. She writhed and convulsed as raging bloodlust and strange tingling sensation buzzed in her head along with a strange force that was taking over her conscious. No matter how hard she pushed back, that strange force kept forcing itself deeper and deeper until everything was black…

_______________

The clone poofed away and he froze as he saw Miniki standing next to Orochimaru. There was something different about her… A more deadly, evil, and dark energy surrounding and emanating off his comrade.

“What did you do to her,” he demanded.

“You’ll find out soon enough… Miniki-kun… Kill him,” Orochimaru said casually.

His eyes widened as the former Kumogakure shinobi rushed him, throwing shuriken at her teammate which he deflected in time to avoid getting slashed in the face as she appeared in front of him.

“Miniki!! What are you doing? Stop! It’s me,” Kakashi yelled at her as their kunai clashed together.

That seemed to do something as she gasped and held her head, crying out before clawing at her chest, allowing him to see the black spider on her chest. It seemed attached to her skin and it was clear that it was causing her to act like this.

“Still fighting against it? Impressive… No matter…”

There was a quiet electric sound and Miniki let out a shout before she went back to trying to kill him.

“Water Style: Water Shuriken Jutsu!”

Multiple shurikens of water were sent flying at him and he noticed Orochimaru slipping away. No matter how much he didn’t want the Sannin to get away, he had to focus on saving Miniki. He defended himself from her relentless attacks. He kept trying to remind her that it was him and to fight it and it seemed to work, allowing him to kick her down and trying to pull the spider off of her. He internally cheered as he was able to grab it.

She didn’t stay down for long and he jumped off just in time to avoid kicked in the face. She did a few hand signs in one hand while releasing black clouds from the other. The clouds surrounded the area and she stood ominously still. His widened as he felt electric shocks pulse throughout his body causing him to hiss in pain. He tried to pinpoint where she was, but within these black clouds, she was hidden.

The shocks got worse and worse until he was driven to his knees. Shit…. He wouldn't last long if this kept up...Finally, he began trying to make her remember her sanity and the clouds suddenly disappeared as he noticed Miniki clutching her head. He knew he didn’t have long so he instantly kicked her down and began to pull. She cried out and he grunts from the effort of pulling. This thing was really stuck to her skin!

She kicked him back, and he jumped to his feet before being punched to the ground. She stepped back a little bit and he felt chakra building up from within her and pooling in her torso. Miniki did a hand sign and he knew that something was about to happen so he created a clone and snuck away before watching the scene unfold.

“Lightning Style: Black Panther jutsu,” she shouted as a burst of lightning in the shape of a panther flew towards his clone.

Upon impact, the electric shock that the clone received could be felt from where he was spectating… She really was out to kill him… His eyes narrowed when his clone poofed away and he flinched from its memories… Miniki was stunned for the moment and he used the opportunity to jump her and push her down and rip the thing off once more.

With a loud scream, the spider was peeled from her skin like glue. He ended up falling back before looking at her body that lay surprisingly still. Kakashi crawled back over to her and let out a soft sigh of relief as he saw the soft rise and fall of her chest. Suddenly, she groaned and blinked open her eyes. She looked completely exhausted and confused.

“Kakashi-san… What happened?”

He frowned and told her to take it easy before explaining everything that just went down. Her eyes widened in horror and immediately apologized, looking as though she might cry from panic. His words of reassurance did nothing so he just wrapped his arms around her and hugged her and that caused her to freeze. He pulled away and kissed her softly, contact still blocked by his mask, and felt her melt his arms and chuckled at the blissed-out expression.

“Stop laughing! I almost killed you,” she scolded.

“Yea… I know. I was there,” he said.

She punched his shoulder playfully before suddenly collapsing into his arms. Guess that fight took a lot out of her… He smiled softly and picked her up and carried her back to the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed!!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what y'all think! Comments, feedback, suggestions, and everything else is appreciated!


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